Appeals court upholds conviction of British national linked to Islamic State

By MATTHEW BARAKAT
Associated Press

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A federal appeals court has upheld the conviction of a British national for his role in a hostage-taking scheme by the Islamic State group that tortured and killed Americans and other westerners a decade ago. El Shafee Elsheikh was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 2022 in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia. His trial established that he was one he was one of the notorious “Beatles,” captors nicknamed for their accents and known for torturing and beating prisoners. Elsheikh argued that confessions he gave in media interviews and admissions he made to FBI agents should have been tossed out of court. But in a ruling Friday, a unanimous three-judge appeals panel in Richmond upheld the conviction.