El Shafee Elsheikh, a member of the infamous ‘Jihadi Beatles,’ who assisted in the kidnap and murder of American citizens James Foley, Steven Sotloff, and Peter Kassig has been convicted on eight counts of hostage-taking and murder in Virginia today.
Elsheikh, 33, was a member of the ISIS beheading squad that released gruesome propaganda videos featuring ‘Jihadi John,’ the group’s leader, torturing and slowly decapitating Western victims. He is the last of the terrorists to face justice, but will not be executed for his role due to a deal struck between former Attorney General William Barr and the United Kingdom following the British refusal to cooperate with the prosecution if the death penalty was on the table.
Elsheikh was identified as ‘Jihadi Ringo’ after a group of Kurdish militants discovered him posing as a refugee during his attempt to flee Syria during the downfall of ISIS leadership in 2018. He and fellow Jihadi Beatle Alexanda ‘George’ Amon Kotey, were both high-ranking members of ISIS when they were captured by Syrian Democratic Forces while attempting to cross into Turkey.
“The evidence demonstrates that they grew up together, radicalized together, fought as high-ranking ISIS fighters together, held hostages together, tortured and terrorized hostages together,” prosecutor Raj Parekh said during the trial. “What these horrific crimes left behind is a legacy of brutal killings and shattered families.”
The Jihadi Beatles were all naturalized citizens of the United Kingdom who, according to fellow ISIS terrorist Omer Kuzu, were members of the “ISIS aristocracy.”
If it were not for a stroke of luck at the Turkish border, these murderous criminals could have ended up in the United States, granted refugee status, given taxpayer money, and settled in the former communities of the same American men they murdered.
Now, Elsheik will spend the rest of his days in a supermax prison with little to no human contact.
The Gateway Pundit previously reported on the testimony of one of Elsheikh’s victims who described the sexual, physical, and psychological torture that captives underwent at the hands of the Jihadi Beatles.