Four Americans held hostage by the Islamic State have been killed, while a British guy dubbed "one of the Beatles" by his captors has been given a life sentence.This message is being sent from ALEXANDRIA, VA. On Friday, British national El Shafee Elsheikh was given a life sentence for his role in an Islamic State plot that kidnapped almost two dozen Westerners a decade ago.
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In April, El Shafee Elsheikh, then 34 years old, was found guilty of taking hostages, conspiring to kill US citizens, and providing material support to a terrorist organisation.The judge told the Londoner of Sudanese descent that his actions were "horrific, savage, brutal, and criminal."Elsheikh was the most well-known member of the Islamic State to face prosecution in the United States.A report claims that as a result of his condut, four American hostages were killed.
The cell abducted and murdered four people: journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, humanitarian workers Kayla Mueller and Peter Kassig.Hostages dubbed Elsheikh and his fellow English-speaking kidnappers the "Beatles," a playful appellation that belied the brutality of their captor.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh stated, "This case uncovered the wicked and depraved ISIS Beatles," referring to the fact that Elsheikh and the other Beatles always wore masks when appearing in front of their victims.
Prosecutors at his sentencing hearing in U.S. District Court in Alexandria claimed Friday that he is the most notorious and highest-ranking member of the Islamic State organisation to ever be convicted in a U.S. court. After being found guilty by a jury earlier this year of offences including hostage taking with the intent to cause death and others, the judge had little choice but to sentence him to life in prison.
James Foley, Steven Sotloff, Peter Kassig, and Kayla Mueller, four Americans held prisoner, were the focus of the convictions. Every single one of them was beheaded on camera and posted online except for Mueller. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State, enslaved and repeatedly raped Mueller before he had her beheaded.
Elsheikh was given eight separate sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole.Since the judge first offered him the chance to speak before sentencing, he has always declinedIn fact, he asked to be kept out of ADX, a supermax prison in Colorado that offers a more restricted level of confinement than even maximum security. Most of the time, prisoners are isolated.
The families of the hostages were both grateful and disappointed with the resolution. Although Diane Foley, James's mother, termed the punishment a "hollow win," she did say that it proved that "US justice will find you wherever you are" as she stood outside the courthouse on Friday."The United States of America has lost four of its finest citizens. We families lost loved ones forever," she stated.
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https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/british-fighter-life-islamic-state-hostage-killings-88598539
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62609217
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