Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
UK dropped objection to death penalty for Isis suspects 'to appease US'
Source: The Guardian
UK dropped objection to death penalty for Isis suspects 'to appease US'
High court told that home secretary abandoned policy to avoid White House ‘outrage’
Owen Bowcott Legal affairs correspondent
Mon 8 Oct 2018 19.16 BST
The home secretary, Sajid Javid, decided to cooperate with US authorities in the prosecution of two alleged Islamic State fighters, without assurances they would not face the death penalty, in order to avoid “political outrage” in the Trump administration, the high court has been told.
The allegation came as the lord chief justice, Lord Burnett of Maldon, and Mr Justice Garnham heard an application on behalf of the mother of El Shafee Elsheikh over the legality of the Home Office’s agreement to provide evidence to US prosecutors.
Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey, who were raised in Britain, are alleged to have been part of an Isis terrorism cell, some of whom were known as “the Beatles”, that is thought to have carried out 27 beheadings of US and UK citizens in Isis-held territory. Those killed included the British aid workers Alan Henning and David Haines and the American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff.
The pair, who have been stripped of their British citizenship, were captured in February by Syrian Kurdish fighters, prompting behind-the-scenes negotiations between the UK and the US governments over where they should be prosecuted.
The decision not to seek assurances from the US that the two men would not face the death penalty was in defiance of advice from the Foreign Office and senior civil servants, said Edward Fitzgerald QC, who represents Maha El Gizouli, Elsheikh’s mother.
-snip-
High court told that home secretary abandoned policy to avoid White House ‘outrage’
Owen Bowcott Legal affairs correspondent
Mon 8 Oct 2018 19.16 BST
The home secretary, Sajid Javid, decided to cooperate with US authorities in the prosecution of two alleged Islamic State fighters, without assurances they would not face the death penalty, in order to avoid “political outrage” in the Trump administration, the high court has been told.
The allegation came as the lord chief justice, Lord Burnett of Maldon, and Mr Justice Garnham heard an application on behalf of the mother of El Shafee Elsheikh over the legality of the Home Office’s agreement to provide evidence to US prosecutors.
Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey, who were raised in Britain, are alleged to have been part of an Isis terrorism cell, some of whom were known as “the Beatles”, that is thought to have carried out 27 beheadings of US and UK citizens in Isis-held territory. Those killed included the British aid workers Alan Henning and David Haines and the American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff.
The pair, who have been stripped of their British citizenship, were captured in February by Syrian Kurdish fighters, prompting behind-the-scenes negotiations between the UK and the US governments over where they should be prosecuted.
The decision not to seek assurances from the US that the two men would not face the death penalty was in defiance of advice from the Foreign Office and senior civil servants, said Edward Fitzgerald QC, who represents Maha El Gizouli, Elsheikh’s mother.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/oct/08/sajid-javid-death-penalty-isis-el-shafee-elsheikh