The terrorist and member of Islamic State (ISIS) that kidnapped the journalist from EL PERIÓDICO Marc Marginedas He has been sentenced to life imprisonment. The federal court in Alexandria, in the United States, has ruled that Alexandra Kotey38, from London, is jailed for life for taking part in the hostage-taking.
The British jihadist, known as one of the terrorist group’s ‘Beatles’, pleaded guilty last September to eight criminal charges related to the kidnapping, torture and beheading of up to four American hostages in Syria. Kotey showed no emotion during his statement or while his verdict was being rendered. Judge Thomas Selby Ellis has described his actions as “heinous, violent and inhumane”.
Another member of the cell, El Shafee el-Sheikh, has appeared in the sentence after being tried in April. This August his sentence will be known. Both were arrested in 2018 by Syrian Kurdish forces.
The terrorist ‘Beatles’
Surviving hostages, including Marginedas, said Kotey, el-Sheikh and a third man, Mohammed Emwazi, made up the brutal unit known as the ‘Beatles’ because of their British accent. The death of the American journalists is attributed to this group james foley Y Steven Sotloffas well as cooperators Kayla Mueller Y Peter Cassig. They are also credited with the murder of British aid workers David Hayes Y Alan Henningand Japanese journalists Haruna Yukawa Y kenji goto.
Some of them were beheaded, images of the execution that went around the world for their crudeness. Behind those filmed executions was Emwazi, known as ‘John the jihadist’, who would have died in a drone attack launched by the US in Syria in 2015.
A fourth man is also believed to be part of the terror cell. It would be about Aine Davisconvicted of being a senior member of a terrorist organization and currently imprisoned in Turkey.
“They succumbed to hate”
Before being sentenced, the IS members had to listen to the testimony of the survivors and the relatives of their victims, who have recounted the uncertainty they experienced while their loved ones were held captive. The judge has forced el-Sheikh to be present in court to avoid family members having to repeat his painful testimony twice. “I haven’t been able to sleep well since my father was taken away. I wake up at night hearing him scream as he is being tortured by these men,” David Haines’ daughter, Bethany, told the BBC.
Related news
At one point in the trial, el-Sheikh closed his eyes. That’s when Shirley Sotloff, Steven Sotloff’s mother, told him, “Please don’t close your eyes. Look at me. You have to.”
Previously, Michael Foley, brother of the executed reporter, said he felt sorry for the terrorists “for having succumbed to hatred” and remarked that he wanted them to “spend the rest of their time in prison to reflect.” Neither Kotey nor el-Sheikh, the two highest-profile IS members on trial in the US, showed any remorse for his actions.