ISIS pair deny links to murder of David

Two ISIS jihadis, accused of being involved in the brutal murder of Perthshire aid worker David Haines, have denied being part of the group known as the‘ISIS Beatles’.

Shafee El-Sheikh and Alexanda Kotey are currently being held by US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in northern Syria.

The pair, who are originally from London, are suspected of being part of the group known as the‘ISIS Beatles’, who carried out a number of brutal tortures and killings by using methods such as waterboarding, beheading and crucifixion.

This includes their suspicion of being involved in the beheading of Perthshire aid worker Mr Haines.

However, in a recent interview with the BBC, the pair deny being part of the‘Beatles’group that killed David, and call into question the fact they were stripped of their British citizenship earlier this year.

The beheading of David was carried out by Mohammed Emwazi, who was also known as Jihadi John.

When asked if they condemn the brutality of Mohammed Emwazi, Alexanda Kotey said:“He is a friend of mine.

“That is they way they choose to remember him, I chose to remember him differently.

“I take a position of not speaking of him at all in a negative way.”

He added:“I have my regrets, not just being here, previous to coming here. I have my regrets, not about coming to Syria.”

Since the pair were stripped of their UK citizenship, the UK Home Office has refused to seek assurances they would not be spared from execution in America.

The pair were captured in January by Kurdish militia fighters, and may now face trial in the US, which could end in a sentence of the death penalty.

Critics of home secretary Sajid Javid’s decision, which was backed by prime minister Theresa May, say this could mean British evidence is used to help a US court sentence Alexanda Kotey and Shafee El-Sheikh to death.

In the interview, the pair were told they had been stripped of their citizenship.

Shafee El-Sheikh said: “What makes the British Government want a British citizen to be tried in America?”

And when told he had his citizenship revoked, he replied:“That has not been confirmed.”

Shafee El-Sheikh also refused in the interview to reveal what he had been doing in IS controlled territories for “legal reasons”.

Kotey and El-Sheikh, along with Mohammed Emwazi and Aine Lesley Davis are thought to be the foursome that make up the‘ISIS Beatles’, named because of their British accents.