Alexanda Kotey, left, and Shafee El-Sheikh were captured by Kurdish forces. Photos / Sky News
Alexanda Kotey, left, and Shafee El-Sheikh were captured by Kurdish forces. Photos / Sky News
Britain will allow two notorious members of the "Beatles" group of Isis militants to be sent to the US, the Daily Telegraph reports.
The UK has abandoned its "blanket" opposition to the death penalty and Guantanamo Bay, the newspaper says.
The Daily Telegraph reports that documents show thatthe Government has agreed to hand over intelligence to help prosecute Alexanda Kotey and Shafee El-Sheikh in US courts.
The men both held British citizenship, though the newspaper says it has been reported that this has been secretly revoked by ministers.
Britain's Home Secretary Sajid Javid tells US Attorney-General Jeff Sessions in a letter that Britain will not demand "assurances" that the pair will not be executed in the US.
Other documents say that Britain will not formally oppose the pair being sent to Guantanamo without trial, although the Daily Telegraph says a Home Office source said the Trump Administration had been warned against that move.
The notorious Isis cell was behind the beheadings of US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, British aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning, and US humanitarian worker Peter Kassig. It also held more than 20 Western hostages.
The group's nickname came from the fact its four members had British accents.
Interesting Sajid Javid backs down on assurances from US over death penalty on Isis Beatles. Aligns him with Gavin Williamson: "A dead terrorist can’t cause any harm to Britain" But poses clash w/ security minister Ben Wallace: "This country doesn’t believe in the death penalty" https://t.co/HAXGUXFtvy
