In 2014, the Islamic State caused horror around the world with videos showing the beheading of hostages. Now one of the masterminds in Virginia is sentenced to life imprisonment. Elsheikh is the highest-ranking fighter of the terrorist militia who has to answer in court in the USA.
A British member of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist militia has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the United States for taking part in the kidnapping and killing of US citizens. El Shafi Elsheikh's sentence was announced by a Virginia court, the Justice Department said. He was found guilty earlier this year.
Elscheich belonged to an IS terrorist cell that became known as "The Beatles" because of the origins and accents of the members. According to the ministry, this is the highest-ranking IS fighter ever to stand trial in a US jury. His involvement in hostage-taking resulted in the deaths of four American, British and Japanese nationals in Syria, according to the Justice Department. Their victims included US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, as well as development workers Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller.
Videos of beheadings, with prisoners dressed in orange overalls, sparked global outrage in 2014. According to the indictment, the convict was a leader in a "wide-ranging conspiracy" from 2012 to 2015, which included the capture of 26 hostages in Syria.
In a parallel trial, the jury had already sentenced another IS jihadist, Alexanda Kotey, to life imprisonment in April. Elsheikh had been extradited by Great Britain along with Kotey - on condition that they would not face the death penalty in the USA. Another alleged former member of the "Beatles" cell was extradited to Great Britain a week ago. Aine Leslie Davis had previously served a prison sentence in Turkey.
