Washington 20th August : A man who is believed to be the fourth member of an Islamic State (IS) terror cell dubbed “The Beatles was sentenced by an US justice system to life in prison after being found guilty of his involvement in the killing of American hostages in Syria.El Shafee Elsheikh, 34 who was born in London did not show any emotion when the judge Thomas Selby Ellis delivered his verdict on Friday in the Alexandria District Court in Virginia as members of the families of his victims watched , as reported by the DPA news agency.
Elsheikh was handed life sentences for each of the eight charges he was found guilty of in April.The sentences are scheduled to be a part of a concurrent.
The charges were related to his involvement in hostage-taking plot that included beating, torturing and even executing prisoners.
Raj Parekh, representing the families, said that Elsheikh, identified by prosecutor as “Ringo”, was “defiantly impervious and uncompromising”.
He claimed that the jihadi failed to make an effort to visit the families of victims, such as his fellow defendant Alexanda Kotey.
In his address to Elsheikh Judge Ellis stated: “The behaviour of this defendant and his co-defendant could be described as horrendous brutal, barbaric and inhumane.
“This is an important event in the development of our nation and the justice system.”
Judge Ellis stated that Elsheikh did not suffer unjust treatment during his time in Britain.
“He had a good childhood, not stricken with violence,” he said.
The court heard testimony from several of the family members including the family members of the late US journalist James Foley.
The mother of the deceased, Diane Foley, said it was the eighth anniversary of the death of her son.
“This trial has exposed the horrendous human rights violations you committed as part of Isis,” she told Elsheikh.
“Your hatred has taken over your humanity.”
Elsheikh was one of the gang of four IS militants who were branded The Beatles due to their British accents.
The cell was believed to consist of the leader Mohammed Emwazi, known as Jihadi John, Aine Davis, Alexanda Kotey, and Elsheikh.
Elsheikh was captured along with Kotey in Syria in 2018, by the American-backed Syrian Democratic Forces while trying to flee to Turkey.
In the year 2000, Kotey pleaded guilty to eight charges related to his involvement.Davis was imprisoned in Turkey until being transferred to Britain this week.Emwazi was killed in the drone strike.
Kotey was sentenced to the exact sentence of eight life sentences concurrently by the judge Ellis at the same tribunal in April.
