Aleksanda Cote has been charged with conspiracy to kidnap and murder Western hostages
Alexandria, United States of America:
Alexandra Cote, a member of the notorious ISIS kidnapping cell known as the “Beatles”, pleaded guilty in a US court on Thursday to plotting the murder of four American hostages.
The federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, outside Washington, posted a notice this week calling for a hearing in the United States for a “change in plea” hearing for Coates, a former British national and one of two kidnapping cell members. A notice was posted for
Cote, 37, and El Shafi Elsheikh, 33, were deported from Iraq in October to face trial for their involvement in the killings of American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and relief workers Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller.
After two suspects were captured by Syrian Kurdish forces in Syria in January 2018, they were handed over to US forces in Iraq.
Britain, which did not want to put him on trial at home, stripped him of his British nationality.
But his transfer to the United States was possible only after American officials assured London that they would not seek the death penalty in the case.
Appeared from prison before Judge TS Ellis by video link on 9 October, both pleading not guilty.
But on Thursday, Cote appeared in person and answered “yes” when Ellis asked him, “Are you freely and willingly and voluntarily guilty because you are in fact guilty of these charges?”
Ellis also confirmed that Coates had “agreed to cooperate fully and truthfully with the United States and to provide the government with all information regarding any criminal activity, not just what is in the indictment, But if you know about any criminal activity.”
Admitting his guilt, he waived his right to trial and faced multiple life sentences without the right to early release.
The families of the four American victims were present in the courtroom. Prosecutor Dennis Fitzpatrick said he agreed with the change in defense strategy.
“Physical and Psychological Violence”
Cote and Elsheikh’s four-man ISIS cell were dubbed the “Beatles” by their captors because of their British accent.
They were allegedly involved in the kidnapping of American, European and Japanese hostages in Syria from 2012 to 2015.
He allegedly tortured and killed his victims, including beheadings, and ISIS released videos of the killings for propaganda purposes.
The alleged gangster Mohamed Emwazi, known as “Jihadi John”, was killed in a US airstrike in Syria in November 2015, while the fourth “beetle,” Ann Davies, died in Turkey after pleading guilty to terrorism charges. Imprisoned in
According to US officials, Cote and Elsheikh supervised detention facilities for the hostages and reportedly coordinated ransom negotiations conducted by email.
He added that the pair also engaged in a “long-lasting pattern of physical and psychological violence against hostages”.
A US special forces raid that resulted in the death of ISIS group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Syria in 2019 was code-named Task Force 8-14 in reference to the birthday of youth aid worker Mueller.
She was working with the Danish Refugee Council when she was kidnapped in northern Syria in 2013.
Muller’s parents say she was tortured before being handed over to al-Baghdadi, who allegedly raped her repeatedly before killing her.
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