Alexanda Kotey, one of the members of the terrorist group Islamic State, has been sentenced to life in prison by a federal court in the US. Kotey, 38, was part of the so-called ‘Beatles’ of IS, the nickname of a group of British jihadists who became infamous for killing Western hostages in Syria. This was often done by beheadings.
Kotey – nicknamed Jihadi Ringo – pleaded guilty in September last year to, among other things, conspiracy to kidnap Americans. He was captured by Kurdish militias in northern Syria in 2018 and handed over to US troops in Iraq. He was eventually flown to the US, where he was charged with kidnapping, hostage-taking, conspiracy to murder Americans and supporting a terrorist organization.
Another member of the “Beatles” was also flown from Iraq to the US last year to be tried. El Shafee el-Sheikh – nicknamed Jihadi George – was found guilty in April for his role in the imprisonment and death of journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff. He will know his sentence later this summer.
Killed in air raid
Gang leader Mohamed Emwazi – better known as Jihadi John – was killed in a US airstrike in late 2015. The fourth gang member – Aine Davis or Jihadi Paul – is imprisoned in Turkey for terrorism.
ISIS ‘Beatles’ are said to have kidnapped at least 27 people from 15 different countries in Syria between 2012 and 2015. Some were released after paying ransom. Others were physically and/or psychologically tortured almost daily and sometimes brutally murdered, for example by beheading. Images of this used by IS for propaganda purposes.
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