ISIS ‘Beatle’ El Shafee Elsheikh found guilty on all counts in US court
WASHINGTON (AA) – El Shafee Elsheikh, a British man, better known as one of the ISIS group’s “Beatles,” was reportedly found guilty Thursday on all eight charges by a jury in the US state of Virginia.
Elsheikh faces a sentence of up to life in prison. He was brought to the US in 2020 alongside fellow “Beatle” Alexanda Amon Kotey after Washington vowed not to pursue the death penalty against the men. Kotey pleaded guilty in September.
Kotey and Elsheikh were captured by the US-backed SDF in northern Syria in 2018.
The federal grand jury concluded after four hours of deliberations that Elsheikh was one of the individuals collectively known as the “Beatles” — so named because of their British accents, despite Elsheikh maintaining that while he was an ISIS fighter his case was one of mistaken identity, according to ABC News.
The group to which Elsheikh belonged was well-known for its cruelty and posted brutal videos online that included the beheadings of several captives.
Elsheikh faced four counts of conspiracy and four other charges related to the kidnapping and murders of four Americans: James Foley, Peter Kassig, Kayla Mueller and Steven Sotloff.
Foley, Kassig and Sotloff were beheaded.
The circumstances of Mueller’s death remain unclear but she was reportedly forced into marrying and was repeatedly raped by former ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
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