Uproar over possible death penalty

LONDON — A furor has erupted over leaked documents showing that British officials are not requiring their U.S. counterparts to provide assurances that two alleged British jihadists loyal to the Islamic State group will not be executed if they are eventually put on trial in the United States.

The Daily Telegraph reported Monday it had seen a letter from Home Secretary Sajid Javid to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions concerning two individuals who have been in custody since their capture in eastern Syria in January.

The men, Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, were allegedly part of a notorious cell of British jihadists known for their barbaric treatment of hostages. They got the nickname “the Beatles” because of their British accents. The most prominent member of the group, known as “Jihadi John,” was killed in a 2015 drone strike.

The group held more than 20 Western hostages in Syria. It beheaded seven American, British and Japanese journalists and aid workers and a group of Syrian soldiers, boasting of the butchery in grisly videos.

The newspaper says Javid told Sessions that Britain would not seek “assurances” that the two would not be executed, which has caused controversy because Britain is a long-standing opponent of the death penalty. Britain typically does not send prisoners to other countries if they face possible execution.

Amnesty International UK spokesman Allan Hogarth said Britain should not abandon its opposition to the death penalty despite the appalling crimes.