From the BBC:
“Islamic State 'Beatles'
member pleads guilty over US hostage deaths”
An Islamic State (IS) group
suspect from the UK has pleaded guilty in a US court to charges of conspiring
to murder four American hostages. Alexanda Kotey is accused of belonging to an
IS cell dubbed "The Beatles" involved in kidnappings in Iraq and
Syria. Kotey and fellow "Beatle" El Shafee Elsheikh initially pleaded
not guilty at a hearing last October. The change of plea suggests Kotey may
co-operate with prosecutors. Kotey, 36, and Elsheikh, 32, are on trial for
their involvement in the murders of US journalists James Foley and Steven
Sotloff, and relief workers Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller. They were flown
from US custody in Iraq last year to face the charges, which carry a maximum
penalty of life in prison. There is no word yet on whether Mr Elsheikh has
reached a plea deal with authorities. Both men are suspected of involvement in
the deaths of other hostages, including Alan Henning - a British taxi driver
who was delivering aid - and Scottish aid worker David Haines, as well as two
Japanese nationals. The duo also face separate charges of supporting terrorism
and conspiring to commit hostage-taking.
Originally from west London,
their alleged IS gang was given its 1960s pop group nickname by hostages due to
their British accents. They were stripped of their UK nationality in 2018. A
member of the prosecution team, Raj Parekh, told reporters: "Contrary to
the propaganda perpetuated by ISIS [IS], we have given Alexanda Kotey the
opportunity to face justice. "Kotey has been afforded due process and, in
the face of overwhelming evidence, he made the independent decision to plead
guilty to his crimes. The justice, fairness, and humanity this defendant
received in the United States stand in stark contrast to the cruelty,
inhumanity and indiscriminate violence touted by the terrorist organisation
that he espoused. "Some of the victims were beheaded, with their deaths
filmed and broadcast on social media.The group's alleged ringleader, Mohammed
Emwazi, known as "Jihadi John", died in a drone strike in 2015.Another
gang member, Aine Davis, was arrested and imprisoned in Turkey. Kotey and
Elsheikh remained at large until they were captured in 2018 by Syrian Kurds
fighting IS.
The US government had wanted to
put them on trial but was lacking evidence. The men were in a legal limbo for
several months, held by the US military in Iraq where the US attorney general
threatened to hand them over to local courts, known for their summary justice
and executions. But the US said it would not carry out the death penalty if the
men were convicted in a US court. British counter-terrorism officials have
since shared crucial evidence on the men with US officials.
^ They should all get the Death Penalty for their
acts of Terrorism. ^
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