Islamic State ‘Beatle’ Alexanda Kotey sentenced to life in prison
A U.S. decide on Friday imposed a lifetime jail sentence on a member of an ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) militant group nicknamed “The Beatles” that beheaded American hostages.
U.S. District Decide T.S. Ellis in Alexandria, Va., held an emotionally charged sentencing listening to for London-born Alexanda Kotey, 38, who pleaded responsible to murdering U.S. journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and support staff Kayla Mueller and Peter Kassig.
Kotey’s sentence was a foregone conclusion below a plea deal he entered final 12 months. El Shafee Elsheikh, a second British nationwide who was charged, will likely be formally sentenced in August and also will obtain a life time period. The loss of life penalty was not an choice below the phrases of an settlement that allowed their extradition to america.
Kotey was particularly charged with conspiring within the kidnapping and deaths of the 4 Individuals. Three of the hostages have been beheaded, their deaths recorded on video and posted on the web. Mueller’s loss of life, nonetheless, stays one thing of a thriller. The Islamic State mentioned she was killed in a Jordanian airstrike, however the U.S. authorities believes she was killed by ISIS.
The hostages held by Kotey and his fellow militants nicknamed them “The Beatles” for his or her British accents. The listening to included testimony from victims’ relations.
Kotey admitted to inflicting torture on hostages, together with waterboarding and electrical shocks with a stun gun.
‘I misplaced my religion in God’
Members of the family described the dread of realizing family members have been in captivity, and the grief they felt within the aftermath of their deaths.
“I can’t hate you,” Kassig’s mom, Paula Kassig, mentioned to Kotey through the listening to. “It might give unhappiness, ache and bitterness an excessive amount of energy over me. I select to let my coronary heart be damaged open, not damaged aside.”
Mueller’s father, Carl Mueller, mentioned that through the ordeal, “I misplaced my religion in God, and I misplaced my religion in our authorities. My authorities left her there for 18 months. They might not permit us to barter.”
He mentioned the trial and prosecution of Kotey and Elsheikh restored his religion in authorities, prompting tears from the decide.
Kotey to fulfill with victims’ households
Kotey’s lawyer mentioned through the court docket listening to that, in an effort to “make amends,” Kotey is assembly with some household members of victims.
Ellis agreed to maintain Kotey detained in Alexandria till July and mentioned that association would facilitate these conferences.
Kotey declined to talk at Friday’s listening to, referencing as an alternative a 25-page letter he wrote to the court docket prematurely of sentencing. The letter describes his conversion to Islam at age 19 and expresses some ambivalence about his actions, whereas additionally justifying brutality as a response to Western international coverage.
“Looking back, I can say that, all through our endeavours, there have been actions we took that demanded ethical compromises,” he wrote.
Kotey was a citizen of the UK, however the British authorities withdrew his citizenship.
Kotey’s attorneys had requested the decide to make a suggestion that Kotey not be despatched to Supermax jail in Colorado often known as ADX Florence, residence to among the world’s most harmful criminals, together with the Mexican drug kingpin, El Chapo.
Ellis declined to make any suggestion to the Bureau of Prisons about the place Kotey will ultimately be despatched. Which means Kotey is probably going heading to ADX Florence, however the federal Bureau of Prisons has but to find out the place to ship Kotey.
U.S. authorities have agreed to make their finest efforts to switch him to a jail in the UK after 15 years.
