One of the “ISIS Beatles” accused of murdering four American hostages convicted

An American court found Islamic State (ISIS) jihadist Shafee Elsheikh guilty on Thursday of having participated in the kidnapping and killing of four American hostages in Syria, as a member of the “Beatles” cell.

Accused of being part of this cell to which the hostages named after his British accent, Shafee Elsheikh was tried in the town of Alexandria, near Washington, for his role in the capture and death of journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, as well as aid workers Kayla Müller and Peter Kassig.

His sentence will be known in a few days. He's liable to life imprisonment.

Shafee Elsheikh, 33, was silent during this first major trial against the jihadist group in the United States, which lasted two weeks. By the mouth of his lawyer, he acknowledged having enlisted in ISIS but denied being one of the “Beatles”.

The prosecution claims it was “Ringo”, while some hostages believe it was “George”. The former hostages called to testify have not identified him as a member of the group.

The jury, composed of 12 people, deliberated for about six hours before rendering the verdict in the United States District Court.

Elsheikh did not show any visible reaction when the guilty conclusions were read, but several members of the families of the murdered American hostages who were in the public rostrum wiped their eyes.

Shafee Elsheikh was arrested in 2018 by Kurdish forces in Syria along with another member of the trio, Alexandra Kotey. They were transferred to the United States for trial, but Kotey chose to plead guilty and his sentence will be issued on April 29.

The remaining member of the group, Mohamed Emwazi, was killed in a drone strike in 2015. He was nicknamed “Jihadi John” and was identified after appearing with a butcher's knife in Islamic State propaganda videos showing the beheading of Western hostages.

In addition to the deaths of the US hostages, Elsheikh and the other “Beatles” are suspected of being involved in the kidnapping in Syria of 20 other journalists and aid workers from Europe, Russia and Japan.

During the trial, prosecutors reproduced media interviews for the jury in which Elsheikh described his interactions with the hostages.

In the interviews, Elsheikh admitted taking email addresses and proof of life from the hostages and even physically beating them.

A “brutal legacy”

Nicolas Henin, a former French hostage who testified at the trial about his distressing treatment in captivity, said after the verdict that he was “grateful to the American justice system for organizing this trial.”

“A terrorist crime opens an open wound in a society,” Henin said. “Only justice can close such a monstrous chapter.” He added: “It does not return the dead, it does not cure all pain, but it relieves”.

Foley, Sotloff and Kassig were beheaded by the “Beatle” Mohamed Emwazi, known as “Jihadi John”, and videos of their deaths were disseminated by ISIS for propaganda purposes.

Mueller was initially held by the “Beatles”, but was later handed over to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who allegedly repeatedly raped her.

ISIS announced Mueller's death in February 2015 and said he had died in a Jordanian airstrike, a claim that was refuted by the US authorities.

Baghdadi died during an incursion by US special forces in 2019. Emwazi was killed by a US drone in Syria in 2015.

In his closing argument, Prosecutor Raj Parekh told the jury that the government had proved that Elsheikh, Kotey and Emwazi “grew up together, radicalized together, fought as high-ranking ISIS fighters together, and tortured and terrorized the hostages together.”

“What these horrible crimes left behind is a legacy of brutal murder and broken families,” he said.

(With information from AFP)

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