Isis ‘Beatles’ to be flown to US to stand trial for hostage executions

Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh are accused of belonging to a cell of executioners nicknamed ‘The Beatles’ because of their British accents.

Two British suspected Isis fighters will be transferred to the United States in the coming days to stand trial over their alleged involvement in the killing of Western captives in Syria and Iraq.

Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, both in their 30s and from west London, are accused of belonging to a cell of executioners nicknamed ‘The Beatles’ because of their British accents.

The group was responsible for murdering a number of hostages including Britons Alan Henning, David Haines and John Cantlie, and Americans James Foley, Steven Sotloff, Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller.

Kotey and Elsheikh have been held in US military custody in Iraq since October 2019 amid questions over where they should face justice. They are now expected to be tried in the federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, although no date has been set.

Neither man has been formally charged yet, but sources in the Justice Department told The Washington Post they will likely stand trial accused of conspiracy to commit murder, hostage-taking resulting in death and kidnapping resulting in death and homicide.

The families of the terror group’s American victims have pushed for the pair to stand trial on US soil because of the longer sentences they would likely face on conviction, NBC News reports.

Proceedings have been held up due to litigation in the UK over whether the Home Office could share evidence with prosecutors in the States.

But senior judges lifted a ban on the transfer of materials after American officials revealed in a letter to Home Secretary Priti Patel that they will not insist on the death penalty following any prosecution.

Relatives of the group’s British victims previously described the High Court ruling as a ‘huge result for us’.

They added: ‘We have only ever wanted to see these two men being held accountable and brought to justice through a fair trial for their alleged actions.’

The statement was also issued on behalf of the family of British photojournalist John Cantlie, who was kidnapped in Syria in 2012 and remains missing – although reports emerged last year that suggested the UK Government has evidence he is still alive.

Jessica Pocock, Mr Cantlie’s sister, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme her family ‘only ever wanted these two to face justice’.

She said: ‘We feel we all have to stand accountable for our actions.

‘At times we felt absolutely desperate as to whether the legal system was ever going to be able to bring these two to justice – wherever they may be.

‘That was always terribly important to us to have a proper fair trial. The families need nothing less than a fair trial.’

Former aircraft engineer and humanitarian Mr Haines, 44, from Perth in Scotland, was beheaded in Syria in 2014 after being held prisoner for 18 months.

Cab driver-turned-aid worker Mr Henning, 47, from Lancashire, was also beheaded in 2014 after being captured by extremists in Syria.

Their brutal deaths, and several others, were filmed and used for propaganda by extremists.

The cell’s ringleader was said to have been Mohammed Emwazi, known as Jihadi John, who was killed in a US air strike in 2015.

The group’s fourth member, Aine Davis, was later jailed in Turkey.

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