British fighter gets life for Islamic State hostage killings
By MATTHEW BARAKAT
Associated Press
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A British national has been sentenced to life in prison for his role in an Islamic State hostage-taking scheme. Roughly two dozen Westerners were taken captive a decade ago by a notorious group of captors nicknamed “The Beatles” for their British accents. El Shafee Elsheikh received his sentence Friday in an Alexandria, Virginia, courtroom. He was convicted on eight counts. Four Americans taken hostage were killed, including three who were beheaded in videos broadcast online. Surviving witnesses testified about beatings, torture and other acts of cruelty.
