Brits accused in beheading of hostages plead not guilty
(AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)ALEXANDRIA, Va. โ Two British men charged with helping the Islamic State group carry out executions and ransom negotiations for Western hostages pleaded not guilty Friday in a federal court. At a brief hearing Friday in the court just outside Washington, D.C., the two men pleaded not guilty and requested a jury trial. No trial date was set after both men waived their right to a speedy trial because of the case's complexity. A status hearing was set for Jan. 15 to set a trial date then. โThis involves a long investigation involving multiple countries,โ Fitzpatrick said when asked about the volume of evidence that must be weighed.
AP source: US to announce charges against British IS members
WASHINGTON โ The Justice Department is preparing to announce charges Wednesday against two men from Britain who joined the Islamic State and were part of a cell that beheaded Western hostages, a law enforcement official said. El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey are two of four men dubbed โthe Beatlesโ by the hostages they held captive because of their British accents. The two have been held since October 2019 in American military custody, and the Justice Department has long wanted to put them on trial. That prompted British authorities to share evidence against the men that prosecutors deemed crucial for obtaining convictions. The State Department described their conduct in terms not nearly so benign.