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A Swedish assist employee who was held hostage in northern Syria relived a few of her darkest moments Thursday as she testified in opposition to one among her captors, El Shafee Elsheikh, a former British nationwide who’s accused of main a kidnapping plot that resulted within the deaths of 4 Individuals.
Nothing in her captivity nightmare horrified Frida Saide greater than the day she was launched in March 2014, when she pleaded together with her captors to launch Kayla Mueller, a 26-year-old American with whom she had shared a room for weeks.
Taking the stand at a federal courtroom in Alexandria, Virginia, Saide stated the hostage-takers, a notoriously sadistic bunch captives dubbed the ISIS ‘Beatles’ due to their British accents, informed her she and her companions would wish to boost the ransom to free Mueller.
In any other case, they informed her, Mueller can be tormented and die.
‘We sleep at night time,’ Saide stated they taunted her. ‘Will you have the ability to sleep at night time, realizing that you’ve got deserted your good friend?’
Frida Saide, (pictured left throughout an ABC interview in 2016) a Swedish assist employee who was held hostage by jihadists, took the stand Thursday, reliving the day she pleaded together with her captors to launch Kayla Mueller (proper) a 26-year-old American with whom she had shared a room for weeks in 2014
The testimony got here within the trial of El Shafee Elsheikh, 33 (pictured in a courtroom room sketch on April 1) and ‘The Beatles’ – so-called as a result of they had been all from the UK – who’re stated to have captured 26 hostages between 2012 and 2015 in Syria
Saide (pictured throughout her testimony) informed the courtroom she pleaded together with her captors to launch Kayla Mueller. Mueller’s mom is seated on the far backside proper within the viewers
The 2-week trial has detailed the grotesque brutality inflicted on greater than two dozen Western hostages held captive by the Islamic State roughly a decade in the past, particularly the killings of US assist staff Mueller and Peter Kassig and journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff.
Kassig, Foley, and Sotloff had been beheaded by terrorists in movies distributed the world over in 2014.
Mueller was raped and tortured by Islamic State chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi earlier than she was killed in 2015.
Thursday’s proceedings started with Saide sharing her personal story of captivity and the way it intersected with a number of of the Individuals victims, in addition to Elsheikh and different Beatles who had been accused of finishing up the killings.
Saide was kidnapped in January 2014 together with a number of fellow members of Medical doctors with out Borders, who had been working within the area.
‘They stated we had been spies and [that they] need to undergo our issues to find out why we had been actually there,’ she recalled.
She was captured together with Patricia Chaves and a Swiss colleague, who had been shuttled between homes and workplace buildings was makeshift prisons, the place they slept on moist concrete flooring and endured harsh remedy by guards.
El Shafee Elsheikh, 33, is standing trial in federal courtroom in Alexandria, Virginia, simply outdoors Washington, on expenses together with deadly hostage-taking and conspiracy to commit homicide
She described her keep in a big constructing known as the ‘Workplace Jail’ the place the home windows had been coated with cardboard and so they may hear the screams of different hostages, together with one with a Spanish accent that she heard beg guards to let him telephone his youngsters again house.
They later joined a convoy stated to be transporting over 1,000 mujahideen to the town of Raqqa. It was then that the IS terrorists revealed they had been being held for ransom.
‘My coronary heart actually sank as a result of we realized if this was for cash, it will be a very very long time,’ she testified.
In late January, they had been taken by a captor they named Scarface to a villa they known as the ‘River Palace,’ given its proximity to a river, she stated.
It was there, she famous, that ‘the previous workforce of guards disappeared, and the brand new guys moved in.’ They had been the Beatles she described as ‘real psychopaths with no ethical boundaries’ and who loved inflicting ache.
‘They handled Individuals the worst, then the British,’ Saide testified. ‘However they hated all of us.’
With the Beatles taking care, she stated, a settee was positioned in entrance of their room, and ‘they informed us we weren’t allowed to maneuver round.’
The terrorists informed them that they had been being punished for western actions within the area.
Saide, who had requested a earlier crew if they might get her some wanted eyeglasses, was berated by a Beatle who accused her of being egocentric and blaming westerners for leaving thousands and thousands of Iraqis blind.
Additionally they threatened to chop out the tongue of her Swiss colleague for speaking.
The hostage-takers, in the meantime, requested them ‘proof of life’ questions for his or her households requesting proof that they had been alive.
Pictured left: James Foley whereas masking the civil battle in Aleppo, Syria. Pictured proper: US assist employee Peter Kassig – in any other case often known as Abdul-Rahman Kassig – in Syria
Left: US freelance journalist Steven Sotloff. Proper: Kayla Mueller is proven after chatting with a gaggle in Prescott, Arizona. Each had been killed in Syria by ISIS
Saide, for her half, was requested the names of the cats she had as a toddler.
Whereas on the River Palace, she stated, they heard about a number of the different hostages who had been being held there, together with journalist James Foley who she may hear calling out his identify, and assist employee Peter Kassig, each of whom had been later beheaded.
In early February, Saide and her companions had suffocating blankets positioned over their heads as they had been taken to yet one more jail that they dubbed the ‘Oil Facility’ due to its oil set up close by.
They had been led right into a floor ground room with coated home windows, the place Saide stated, ‘there was one other one that entered the room behind us.’
Saide paused then her eyes teared up as she defined that this was the second she met Kayla Mueller.
She, Mueller, and the others all launched themselves, and shared their again tales, how they had been taken hostage.
Mueller was captured in Aleppo in August 2013 whereas accompanying her ex-boyfriend Rodwan Safarjalani, a Syrian nationwide who was working to restore a satellite tv for pc dish as a marketing consultant with the Turkish humanitarian group Assist to Life.
In conversations with Saide and her colleagues, Mueller detailed how her boyfriend, after being launched, got here again for her.
He introduced a faux marriage certificates to attempt to persuade her captors to free her.
The terrorists requested Mueller whether or not the certificates was actual, and ‘Kayla was too afraid to be caught in a lie, so she stated no,’ Saide defined.
Carl Mueller, middle, and Marsha Mueller, proper, mother and father of Kayla Mueller who was killed by Islamic State militants, depart for a break on the Albert V. Bryan U.S. Courthouse on Tuesday
Kayla’s mother and father Carl and Marsha Mueller spoke movingly on the Republican Nationwide Conference in 2020 about their daughter’s captivity. On the RNC Carl stated: ‘Kayla was largely held in a 12-by-12 cell in solitary confinement. It was chilly and soiled’
Over the following days and weeks on the Oil Facility, Saide stated, they’d discuss at size about their lives again house, why they got here to Syria and their aspirations for the longer term.
They’d play card video games on a deck made out of pocket book paper, and talk about politics and religion.
In keeping with Saide, Patricia Chavez taught Kayla braid hair as a result of Kayla wished to discover ways to braid her little niece’s hair.
The Beatles demanded all of them movie ransom movies demanding a big sum of cash or the discharge of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani nationwide who was convicted in 2010 of attempting to shoot US navy officers whereas she was in Afghanistan.
The terrorists informed Saide and her companions that Siddiqui was tortured and raped in jail and compelled to abort a child, and described their remedy of the hostages as payback.
Saide stated that when she filmed her video, Mueller was sitting simply off to the facet.
Saide was compelled to beg for $1.5million Euros or Siddiqui’s launch, and to say she can be killed if the calls for weren’t met.
After her first take, her captors stated she appeared like she was studying a climate report.
Considered one of them then obtained near her face and stomped his ft to scare her, saying she wanted to appear extra afraid.
The Beatles, in the meantime, informed Mueller that she had demons inside her and that they had been going to forcibly expel them.
‘We took this as a risk to torture,’ Saide stated.
Saide and her Medical doctors with out Borders colleagues had been launched from the ability in March.
Kayla’s mom, Marsha Mueller, sat within the gallery Thursday, struggling to take care of composure whereas listening to new particulars about her daughter’s last days.
On Tuesday, she took the stand herself, recounting how she and her husband tried for years to save lots of their daughter, earlier than she was murdered in February 2015.
The jihadis had reportedly demanded 5million euros – or about $5.4million – for Kayla’s launch, Mueller testified, however as a result of they didn’t have the cash, she and her husband desperately tried to plead with the leaders of the terrorist group for her protected return.
Elsheikh is pictured, proper, with ISIS Beatle Alexander Kotey, left, who struck a plea cut price final yr in return for all times behind bars
The fourth suspected ‘Beatle’, Aine Davis, is pictured in 2014. He’s at the moment serving a jail sentence at a Turkish jail
At one level, she stated, she and her husband even despatched a video message to al-Baghdadi, during which Mrs. Mueller pleaded: ‘I’m coming to you with a mom’s coronary heart for the love of her daughter.’
On Wednesday, jurors heard the transferring goodbye letter Peter Kassig wrote to his mother and father Ed and Paula 5 months earlier than he was beheaded by Mohammed Emwazi, often known as ‘Jihadi John,’ in November 2014. He revealed that he didn’t consider his captors’ claims that his household had given up on him.
It was learn by Peter’s retired trainer dad Edward Kassig, who struggled to carry again tears, as Kassig’s mother Paula, a former nurse, watched.
‘However after all we all know you’re doing all the pieces you’ll be able to and extra,’ the letter stated: ‘Don’t fret Dad, if I do go down I will not go considering something however what I do know to be true, that you just and Mother love me greater than the moon!’ the 26 year-old assist employee wrote.
Kassig, who was adopted by his mother and father, additionally detailed his fears that he was going to die, writing: ‘Dad, I am paralyzed right here. I am afraid to struggle again. A part of me nonetheless has hope. A part of me is bound I will die.’
He continued: ‘I spent a very long time taking life without any consideration and taunting dying. I’ve by no means wished to dwell extra. I do not need you and mother ruined over this.’
Kassig, a former US Military ranger, continued: ‘If I do die, I determine that no less than you and I can take some refuge and luxury in realizing that I went out because of attempting to alleviate struggling and serving to these in want.’
‘I spent a very long time taking life without any consideration and taunting dying. I’ve by no means wished to dwell extra. I do not need you and Mum ruined over this.’
He additionally revealed that within the wake of his October 2013 abduction he’d ‘cried lots, however does not anymore.’
The missive was so transferring that even Decide TS Ellis III was seen to struggle again tears, earlier than calling for an early recess so the courtroom may compose itself once more.
The letter was delivered to the Kassigs, who dwell in Indianapolis, by one other hostage who’d managed to flee ISIS captivity.
Sharing his ideas with the courtroom on studying it for the primary time, Edward Kassig stated: ‘This was a younger man realizing his time had come. It was his farewell.’
The savage ISIS Beatles, together with Jihadi John ringleader who shared beheading movies on-line and killed harmless British assist staff
Jihadi John
Mohammed Emwazi – Jihadi John
Emwazi was probably the most distinguished members of the so-called ISIS Beatles and was commonly seen finishing up executions of their horrific beheading movies.
He took half within the barbaric beheadings of British assist staff David Haines and Alan Henning and US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and US humanitarian employee Peter Kassig.
The terrorist, who was born in Kuwait and grew up in Queen’s Park, West London, was charged with 27 counts of homicide and 5 counts of hostage taking in November 2014.
He was killed in a Hellfire missile drone strike in Syria in 2015.
Jihadi Paul
Aine Lesley Davis – Paul
Davis was born Aine Leslie Junior Davis in 1984 to Fay Rodriquez, and is believed to have spent the early years of his childhood in Hammersmith, London, the place his mom lived.
He was one among 13 youngsters his father had by 4 totally different girls.
The previous tube driver, who has drug-dealing and firearms convictions to his identify, transformed to Islam whereas in jail.
In 2014 his spouse, Amal el-Wahabi, was convicted of funding terrorism after she persuaded a good friend to attempt to smuggle £16,000 ($21,000) in money in her underwear to him.
Davis was captured by Turkish safety officers in 2015 and was later discovered responsible of being a senior member of a terrorist group and was sentenced to seven and a half years in jail.
Alexanda Kotey
Alexanda Kotey – George
Kotey, 38, was born to a Ghanaian father and a Greek Cypriot mom and grew up in Shepherd’s Bush, London.
Earlier than his radicalization, he’s thought to have labored as a drug seller earlier than changing to Islam in his early 20s.
In 2012, he left for Syria the place the US claims he was concerned in beheadings and recognized for administering ‘exceptionally merciless torture strategies’, together with digital shocks.
He’s additionally accused of performing as an ISIS recruiter who satisfied a lot of different British extremists to affix the fear group.
Kotey was captured in Syria whereas attempting to flee to Turkey in 2018 and was held in a US navy middle in Iraq.
The British Authorities wished him tried within the US, the place officers consider there’s a extra sensible probability of prosecution than within the UK.
He was extradited final yr and was charged with a lot of terror offenses.
El Shafee Elsheikh
El Shafee Elsheikh – Ringo
Born in Sudan, Elsheikh, 33, grew up in West London and is the ultimate member of the 4 British terrorists who fled to affix ISIS.
He has been linked to the killings of a lot of hostages after heading to Syria to affix the extremist group.
He was captured together with Kotey after they tried to flee to Turkey in 2018 and has since been transported to the US the place he now faces expenses referring to terrorism and beheading Western hostages.
The testimony left many within the courtroom combating again tears.
Additionally Wednesday, the jurors heard testimony from French hostage Nicolas Henin, who survived 300 days of captivity earlier than his launch in 2014. Below questioning from First Assistant U.S. Lawyer Raj Parekh, Henin described escaping a number of days after he was taken hostage, and the torture inflicted on him when he was recaptured.
Henin stated he requested his guards for a brush to scrub up his cell, and he used the broom to assist knock unfastened the bars masking a window.
He crawled via the window in the course of the night time and ran for miles throughout the Syrian desert till he got here to a village close to the town of Raqqa, an Islamic State stronghold, the place he sought assist.
‘I met two folks in pajamas,’ he stated. ‘Sadly you’ll be able to’t acknowledge an ISIS fighter of their pajamas. They took me to the native police station.’
The authorities returned him to his captors, who beat him, strung him up within the air dangling from handcuffs that dug into his flesh within the Syrian solar, and eventually left him in a cell for 11 days together with his wrists chained to his ankles.
In his later months of captivity, he got here throughout the Beatles, who had been already acknowledged by his fellow hostages as significantly sadistic.
He stated the three Beatles would commonly inflict beatings, and that the Beatle they dubbed ‘Ringo’ – stated to be Elsheikh – would steadily lecture the hostages on the justification for his or her captivity.
‘They had been attempting to elucidate to us that although we weren’t carrying weapons, we had been nonetheless in some way a sort of fighter within the battle between the infidel West and Islam,’ Henin stated.
Prosecutors have stated that Elsheikh is ‘Ringo,’ although not one of the hostages who has but testified has been capable of explicitly determine him.
Witnesses have stated all of the Beatles took nice pains to maintain their faces totally masked after they had been involved with the hostages.
‘They favored to think about that so long as they had been masked, they had been protected against prosecution. This was possibly a silly thought,’ Henin stated, grinning broadly within the path of Elsheikh, who sat simply ft from him on the protection desk.
On Monday, James Foley’s mom testified that she initially hoped stories her son had been executed had been ‘some merciless joke.’
‘I did not need to consider it,’ Diane Foley testified.
‘It simply appeared too horrific,’ Foley stated. ‘I hoped it was just a few merciless joke.’
Foley stated it sank in later that day when US president Barack Obama went on tv to substantiate that James had certainly been executed by his IS captors.
Diane Foley, who labored tirelessly to attempt to get hold of her son’s launch, stated James, a seasoned fight reporter, left for Syria in October 2012 and promised to be again for Christmas.
The household started to fret when he didn’t name in November on Thanksgiving.
‘Jim at all times known as us on the vacations,’ she stated. ‘There was a deafening silence after we didn’t hear from him.’
She stated the household was knowledgeable by a colleague of James that he had been kidnapped.
‘These first 9 months, we did not know if Jim was alive or not,’ she stated.
The primary tangible proof that James was alive got here when his captors supplied emailed solutions to 3 questions that solely he would know.
The brother of a journalist murdered by ISIS killer Jihadi John has informed a terror trial how he watched the clip of his sibling being beheaded ‘a couple of times’, saying the footage is ‘burned into my mind’.
James’ brother Michael Foley additionally testified, saying that he watched the clip of his sibling being beheaded ‘a couple of times’, and that the footage is ‘burned into my mind’.
He additionally stated ransom calls for made by the fear group in 2012 and 2013 – together with 100 million Euros and the discharge of Islamist prisoners – confirmed they had been by no means severe about sparing his late brother James. The battle photographer was executed in Raqqa, Syria, in August 2014 aged 40, with footage of his homicide horrifying the world.
Michael informed the listening to in Alexandria: ‘We had no capacity to safe both of these calls for. It isn’t an inexpensive demand. It isn’t a negotiation, in my thoughts.’
He went on to say how he’d first discovered of his brother’s dying after being known as for affirmation by reporters, which was lastly supplied days later by then-President Barack Obama.
Michael stated he went on-line and watched the video of his brother in an orange jumpsuit and the knife-wielding IS executioner often known as ‘Jihadi John.’
‘I watched it a couple of times,’ he stated. ‘I have not seen it since but it surely’s burned into my mind.’
Final week, his trial was informed of the horrific brutality Elsheikh allegedly meted out on prisoners, together with ‘going away’ batterings for hostages who’d been freed.
Elsheikh can be stated to have overwhelmed one hostage 25 instances on studying that it was the unnamed captive’s twenty fifth birthday.
Elsheikh and a longtime good friend, Alexenda Kotey, had been captured collectively and dropped at Virginia to face trial. Kotey pleaded responsible final yr in a plea cut price that requires a life sentence. His sentencing listening to is scheduled for April 29.
A 3rd Beatle, Mohammed Emwazi, served as executioner within the video of Foley’s execution. Emwazi – higher often known as ‘Jihadi John’ – was killed in a drone strike in November 2015, and was the face and voice of a few of ISIS’s most horrific execution movies.
There have been conflicting statements trial in regards to the existence of a fourth Beatle. A person beforehand recognized in public dialogue as a fourth Beatle, Aine Davis, is serving a jail sentence in Turkey.
Protection legal professionals have highlighted the discrepancies over the Beatles’ identities, and say there may be inadequate proof to show Elsheikh was one of many Beatles who participated within the hostage-taking scheme.
Prosecutors, although, plan to current proof later within the trial that Elsheikh confessed to his function below questioning from interrogators and in media interviews.
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