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| Islamic State 'Beatles' duo: UK 'will not block death penalty' | Islamic State 'Beatles' duo: UK 'will not block death penalty' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The UK will not block the death penalty in the case of two men accused of being Islamic State members, a leaked letter from the home secretary has said. | The UK will not block the death penalty in the case of two men accused of being Islamic State members, a leaked letter from the home secretary has said. |
| In the letter to the US attorney general, obtained by the Daily Telegraph, Sajid Javid said the UK would not ask for "assurances" over Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh. | In the letter to the US attorney general, obtained by the Daily Telegraph, Sajid Javid said the UK would not ask for "assurances" over Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh. |
| The duo, from west London, were captured in Syria in January. | The duo, from west London, were captured in Syria in January. |
| The BBC's Frank Gardner said he had confirmation of the UK's stance. | The BBC's Frank Gardner said he had confirmation of the UK's stance. |
| Our security correspondent added that the UK still had a "long-standing opposition" to the controversial US military prison Guantanamo Bay and still wants it closed. | Our security correspondent added that the UK still had a "long-standing opposition" to the controversial US military prison Guantanamo Bay and still wants it closed. |
| He said if the pair - who are accused of being the last two members of an IS foursome dubbed "The Beatles" - are sent to Guantanamo Bay, the UK will not share intelligence for the trial. But if they go to a civil trial, the UK will. | He said if the pair - who are accused of being the last two members of an IS foursome dubbed "The Beatles" - are sent to Guantanamo Bay, the UK will not share intelligence for the trial. But if they go to a civil trial, the UK will. |
| Earlier this year, in an interview with Associated Press from northern Syria, the duo complained that they would not get a fair trial because the UK government had stripped them of their British citizenship. | |
| In the letter dated 22 June 2018 and addressed to Jeff Sessions, Mr Javid wrote: "I am of the view that there are strong reasons for not requiring a death penalty assurance in this specific case, so no such assurances will be sought." | |
| But he said that the UK's decision in this case did not reflect a change in policy on assistance in US death penalty cases generally or in the government's stance on the global abolition of the death penalty. | |
| Kotey and Elsheikh were members of the IS cell with two others from west London - Mohammed Emwazi, nicknamed "Jihadi John", and Aine Davis. | |
| The group were radicalised in the UK before travelling to Syria, where they became infamous for their high-profile executions of Western hostages. | |
| Emwazi, who was the alleged ringleader and appeared in videos showing hostages being beheaded, was killed by a drone strike in 2015. | |
| Davis was convicted of being a senior IS member and was jailed in Turkey last year. | |
| Kotey and Elsheikh were captured by members of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in January. |