Prosecutors say El Shafee Elsheikh and two other Britons were “absolutely terrified” and that the abuse was “relentless and unpredictable”. Elsheikh has been charged in the United States with kidnapping and plotting to assassinate journalists and aid workers in Syria. He was accused of being a member of a terrorist cell operating in Iraq and Syria and whose members were called “the Beatles” for their British accents. Read more: Who are the Islamic State fighters nicknamed “The Beatles”? Image: El Shafee Elsheikh (right) with Alexanda Kotey The cell has attracted international attention following the release of a video of the killings of American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and aid workers Kayla Mueller and Peter Kasing. Elsheikh was known by his captives not only for his British accent but also for his unusual tendency for barbarism, even within a terrorist group known for its brutality, prosecutors say. He is accused of conspiracy to commit murder and deadly hostage-taking. He denies the allegations. Prosecutor John Gibbs told the court that Elseich “played a central role in a brutal hostage plot.” He continued: “In a prison called the desert, 26 western hostages were being held. You will hear from some of them. “Everyone said the three Britons holding them were scary. The abuse was relentless and unpredictable. “They seemed to enjoy beating the hostages.” The prosecutor told jurors how the kidnappers secured the beating of a man 25 times on his 25th birthday. He added: “They imposed dead legs and put them in stressful positions and threatened them with death.” Image: El Shafee Elsheikh is accused of playing a “central role” in the hostage plot Defense attorney says the Beatles had similar accents The 33-year-old, who was arrested in January 2018, appeared in court wearing a light blue shirt and glasses with a dark rim, with a bushy beard visible under a black face mask. Defense attorney Edward MacMahon told jurors he would not downplay the violence suffered by the hostages, but would rather challenge Elsheikh’s legal responsibility for the acts. MacMahon said during his remarks that the Beatles all shared similar British accents and characteristics, and differences in the testimony of the released hostages meant that Elsheikh could not be definitively identified as a member of the terrorist cell. A member of the group, Alexanda Kotey, who pleaded guilty to the murders of journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and aid workers Kayla Mueller and Peter Kassig last year, will be convicted next month. Mohamed Emouazi, nicknamed Jihadi John, was killed in a drone strike in Syria in late 2015. Final team member Aine Lesley Davis was convicted of terrorism charges in Turkey in 2017.
