A member of the IS so-called “Beatles” was jailed for life after being convicted for his role in the murder of four American hostages in Syria.
Former British citizen El Shafee Elsheikh, 34, who grew up in London, was found guilty in the United States in April four counts of hostage-taking and four counts of conspiracy for murder.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment in Alexandria, Virginia for each of the eight counts, which are expected to be carried out simultaneously.
The convictions revolved around the deaths of US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and American aid workers Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller.
(LR) David Haines, Steve Sotloff, Alan Henning and James Foley are victims
All but Ms. Mueller were killed in beheadings that were filmed and broadcast online.
The Islamic State cell also beheaded other Westerners, including British volunteers David Haines and Alan Henning.
They were among the 26 hostages taken prisoner between 2012 and 2015, when the Islamic State group controlled large areas of Iraq and Syria.
The inmates gave the cell the Beatles nickname due to their English accent.
Turning to Elsheikh, Judge Thomas Selby Ellis said his behavior was “hideous, barbaric, brutal and callous”.
“This is a significant episode in the history of our country and our judicial system”.
During the trial, the jury was told that Elsheikh, known to prosecutors as Ringo, “played a central role in a brutal hostage-taking plan.”
He was described as the main guard of the group, with hostages claiming that he conducted most of the torture.
The charges against him carried a potential death sentence, but American prosecutors had previously warned British officials that they would not ask for the death penalty.
Read more: Who is El Shafee Elsheikh?
Kayla Mueller
Peter Kassig
“Your hate has surpassed your humanity”
The Alexandria court heard statements from some of the victims’ loved ones, including James Foley’s mother, Diane, who claimed it was the eighth anniversary of her son’s death.
He told Elsheikh: “You too have lost – your freedom, your citizenship and family contact. We have all lost.”
“Jim would also like you to know that your hate crimes didn’t win. James Wright Foley survives.”
“This trial revealed the horrific human rights crimes you committed while you were part of ISIS,” he also told him. “Your hatred has taken over your humanity.”
He added: “I pity you for choosing hatred and for giving in to a false theology.”
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The mother of the ISIS hostage speaks
Reacting to the ruling out of court, he called it an “empty victory”.
“Our country has lost four of its best citizens, we families have lost loved ones forever,” he said.
And Ms. Foley called on the US government to do more to free American hostages overseas.
He told reporters: “We currently have more than 67 of our US citizens currently unfairly detained, held hostage overseas simply because they are Americans.
“I urgently ask our President Biden to employ our most astute negotiation to quickly bring these innocent Americans home so that they do not die in captivity like our sons and daughters. Let our country learn from our mistakes.”
Raj Parekh, representing the relatives of the victims, said that Elsheikh remained “defiantly without remorse and unrepentant”. He said the jihadist made no effort to meet families.
(LR) David Haines and his brother Mike Haines pictured in the late 1990s
The victim’s brother: “I offer my forgiveness to Elsheikh”
David Haines’ brother Mike said judgment “provides another victory for humanity over the hateful ideologies of extremism.”
He added that “although the verdict provides no consolation for David’s life, it sends a powerful message to those tempted to follow the same destructive path.”
“I continue to support the words I spoke in April. The actions of these men have caused untold damage to so many, not least to my brother David, but now I will allow it to consume me.
“I offer my forgiveness to Elsheikh and sincerely hope that he will use his time in prison to acknowledge the pain he has inflicted.”
Elsheikh came to the UK as a refugee child from Sudan and lived in White City, west London. His British citizenship was revoked in 2018.
Read more:
Revealed: the breadcrumb trail that identified the IS “Beatles”
Alexanda Kotey, left, and El Shafee Elsheikh, were both members of the “Beatles” IS cell.
Who were the other IS “Beatles”?
Another member of the group, Alexanda Kotey, also from London, was sentenced to life in prison earlier this year.
Gang leader Mohammed Emwazi, known as Jihadi John, was killed in a US drone strike in Syria in 2015.
The fourth of the alleged Beatles, Aine Davis, was this month accused of terrorist offenses when he arrived at Luton airport after being deported from Turkey.
Kayla Mueller was repeatedly raped by the group’s leader at the time, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, prior to her death in Syria, US officials said.
Her father, Carl Mueller, said: “We keep looking for the truth about what happened to her because we don’t know for sure.
“We want to bring her home, we want to put her on American soil where she belongs.”
At the height of its power from 2014 to 2017, the Islamic State ruled millions of people and claimed responsibility or inspired attacks in dozens of cities around the world.
Al-Baghdadi declared a caliphate over a quarter of Iraq and Syria in 2014, before being killed in a US raid on Syria in October 2019 when the group’s government collapsed.
