Islamic State ‘Beatle’ sentenced to life for murdering U.S. hostages

WASHINGTON, April 29 (Reuters) – A U.S. decide on Friday imposed a life time prison sentence on a member of an Islamic State militant group nicknamed “The Beatles” that beheaded American hostages, at a listening to where by a single victim’s mother explained to the defendant, “I will not detest you.”

U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis in Alexandria, Virginia, held an emotionally billed sentencing hearing for London-born Alexanda Kotey, 38, who pleaded responsible to murdering U.S. journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and assist personnel Kayla Mueller and Peter Kassig.

Hostages held by Kotey and his fellow militants nicknamed them “The Beatles” for their British accents. The hearing provided testimony from victims’ relations.

Family members customers explained the dread of figuring out liked types were being in captivity, and the grief they felt in the aftermath of their deaths.

“I will not hate you,” Kassig’s mom, Paula Kassig, said to Kotey throughout the listening to. “It would give unhappiness, agony and bitterness much too much electric power over me. I select to enable my coronary heart be broken open up, not broken aside.”

Kotey’s law firm said during the court docket listening to that, in an effort to “make amends,” Kotey is conference with some spouse and children users of victims.

Ellis agreed to continue to keep Kotey detained in Alexandria until July and stated that arrangement would aid those people conferences.

Kotey was a citizen of the United Kingdom, but the British governing administration withdrew his citizenship. His Islamic State mobile took journalists and help employees hostage, tortured them and circulated videotapes of ugly beheadings on the internet.

Kotey admitted to inflicting torture on hostages, like waterboarding and electrical shocks with a stun gun.

Kotey’s attorneys experienced requested the judge to make a suggestion that Kotey not be sent to Supermax prison in Colorado recognized as ADX Florence, household to some of the world’s most risky criminals, together with the Mexican drug kingpin, El Chapo.

Ellis declined to make any advice to the Bureau of Prisons about wherever Kotey will ultimately be sent. That suggests Kotey is possible heading to ADX Florence, but the federal Bureau of Prisons has but to identify in which to ship Kotey.

U.S. authorities had encouraged British officials that prosecutors would not seek out the dying penalty. As portion of Kotey’s plea arrangement, U.S. authorities have also agreed to make their greatest endeavours to transfer him to a jail in the United Kingdom after 15 many years.

Reporting by Jan Wolfe Enhancing by Scott Malone and Howard Goller

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