British beheading suspect must face UK justice, victims’ families demand
BRITAIN must urgently move to bring a suspected member of Jihadi John’s execution gang back to the UK to face justice, the families of their British victims have said.
Londoner Aine Davis was unmasked as an associate of the Isil killer, fellow Briton Mohammed Emwazi, and is believed to have been a member of the socalled “Beatles” beheading cell.
It was responsible for murdering several hostages, including Britons Alan Henning and David Haines.
Emwazi was killed in a drone strike last November but Davis has been in custody in Turkey since then after slipping over the border two days later – and a day after the Paris terror attacks.
The former drug dealer is accused of plotting a similar outrage in Istanbul but the Turkish authorities will not say whether he has been charged or will face prosecution.
The relations of Mr Haines and Mr Henning last night joined MPs in demanding the Government put pressure on Turkey to return him.
Dragana Haines, the widow of Mr Haines, said: “I would prefer it if he was taken back to the UK. I don’t trust Turkey. “Having those guys incarcerated – locking them up and throwing away the key – that would give me just a little bit of moral satisfaction.”
Mr Henning’s brother Reg said: “We definitely need to bring these people to justice. The problem since the business with Alan is the British government does not seem to be doing much over there.
“I am very disappointed with their reaction to all of this.”
Keith Vaz, chairman of the Commons home affairs committee, added: “I fully support calls for the extradition of Aine Davies to the UK to face trial in British courts.
“Turkey is a key ally of the UK and their support in ensuring he is brought back as soon as possible is extremely important.”
Government sources indicated that it was awaiting the outcome of Turkey’s investigation into Davis before taking any steps.
His extradition would allow the first prosecution of someone associated with the beheadings.
Davis is suspected of being “George” in the gang. They were nicknamed the Beatles by their hostages.
His family appeared to disown him last night and a cousin said: “He hasn’t tried to contact us. We haven’t tried to contact him. We aren’t going out looking for him. He’s caused us enough grief and embarrassment. We don’t even know where he is now.” She added: “We feel devastated because he is our family and our blood. To be told your family member is part of something horrific like that is the worst feeling.”
A third suspected member of the gang was revealed as Alexanda Kotey, a Queens Park Rangers fan who grew up two miles away from Emwazi in west London.
The Muslim convert travelled to the Middle East in 2009 on an aid convoy organised by George Galloway and is suspected of being “Ringo” in the group.
Others on the 100-vehicle convoy included Munir Farooqi, who received four life sentences at Manchester Crown Court in 2011 after being found guilty of trying to recruit undercover police officers to fight in Afghanistan.
Reza Afsharzadegan, a leader of the notorious London Boys gang who was close to Emwazi, also volunteered on the £1 million aid convoy.
Another was Jamal Al-Harith, from Manchester, a former Guantánamo Bay detainee who is believed to have slipped through UK border controls to Syria last year.
‘Having those guys locked up and throwing away the key would give me just a little bit of satisfaction’