Islamic State 'Beatle' El Shafee Elsheikh gets life term for US hostage deaths

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Islamic State ‘Beatle’ gets life term for US hostage deaths

By MATTHEW BARAKAT
August 19, 2022

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — El Shafee Elsheikh, who was formally sentenced to life in prison Friday for a leading role in the beheading deaths of American hostages, had a somewhat whimsical nickname as a so-called “Beatle” that belied the viciousness of his conduct.

In fact, he is the most notorious and highest-ranking member of the Islamic State group to ever be convicted in a U.S. court, prosecutors said at his sentencing hearing in U.S. District Court in Alexandria.

Elsheikh and British counterparts Alexanda Kotey and Mohammed Emwazi led an Islamic State hostage-taking scheme that took roughly two dozen Westerners captive a decade ago. The hostages dubbed them Beatles because of their accents. Their appearance, always in masks, invoked dread among the hostages for the sadism they displayed.

“This prosecution unmasked the barbaric and sadistic ISIS Beatles,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/virginia-james-foley-steven-sotloff-peter-kassig-3d0cec33bc5f30468ebb6144d6d1adb3


FILE - In this photo provided by the Alexandria Sheriff's Office is El Shafee Elsheikh who is in custody at the Alexandria Adult Detention Center, Oct. 7, 2020, in Alexandria, Va. Elsheikh has been sentenced to life in prison for his role in the deaths of four U.S. hostages captured by the Islamic State. Prosecutors say El Shafee Elsheikh is the most notorious member of the Islamic State ever to be convicted at trial in a U.S. court. (Alexandria Sheriff's Office via AP, File)

[BigmanPigman]

1. He is lucky our courts don't use the same

justification for executing people like this terrorist along with his fellow "Beatles" do.