Sweden charges jihadi over Jordanian pilot burned to death
In this courtroom sketch, defendants look out from a specially designed glass box during the trial for the Brussels attacks (AP)
Prosecutors in Sweden on Tuesday said they had indicted a convicted Swedish man for his suspected role in the 2014 capture and execution of a Jordanian pilot by the "Islamic State" (IS) militant group in Syria.
The suspect is accused of helping to force the pilot into a metal cage ahead of one of the jihadist group's most infamous murders.
What do we know about the case?
The 32-year-old Swedish citizen Osama K., originally from the city of Malmo, is suspected of helping in the execution of a captured Jordanian pilot while fighting for IS.
Prosecutors said the suspect is to be charged with aggravated war crimes and terrorist crimes committed in Syria. They have been unable to work out the exact day of the murder, but the probe has identified the location where it took place.
"The investigation has shown that the man, armed and masked, together with others forced the pilot into a metal cage," prosecutors said. "The cage was subsequently set on fire by one of the co-perpetrators, and the pilot died as a consequence of the fire."
"This bestial murder, in which a prisoner was burned alive in a cage, was staged in a carefully produced video that was broadcast around the world. Its publication marked an unprecedented escalation in the Islamic State group's violent propaganda," said prosecutor Henrik Olin.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
The Killer New Toyota 4Runner Is Utter Perfection (Take A Look)
MorninJoy
Undo
The defendant's lawyer, Petra Eklund, told the AFP news agency that her client admitted to being present at the scene but disputed the allegation.
"He acknowledges having been present at that place during the event but claims not to have acted in the manner described by the prosecutors in the account of the facts," she said.
The royal Jordanian air force pilot had been captured by the Islamic State after his jet was downed near Raqqa, the de facto capital of IS's self-declared "caliphate" — on December 24, 2014.
Images of the death were disseminated online by the jihadi group.
Involvement in Paris, Brussels attacks
K joined ISIS in Syria in 2014 and later returned to Europe, prosecutors said. In 2022, he was sentenced in France to 30 years in prison for complicity in the November 2015 Paris attacks that left 130 dead.
In 2023, he was given a life sentence in Belgium for his role in the 2016 Brussels attacks that killed 32 people.
France agreed on March 12 to hand over K. to Sweden for nine months to allow for investigation and trial. He will be returned to France afterward to continue serving his sentence.
Proceedings are scheduled to begin on June 4 at Stockholm District Court.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
22 minutes ago
- Time of India
Trump: Putin said Russia would respond to Ukraine drone attacks
Russian President Vladimir Putin told Donald Trump in a telephone conversation on Wednesday that Moscow would have to respond to the recent Ukrainian drone attacks, the U.S. President said. Trump said the two men "discussed the attack on Russia's docked airplanes, by Ukraine, and also various other attacks that have been taking place by both sides." Putin "did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields," Trump said in a social media post. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trading CFD dengan Teknologi dan Kecepatan Lebih Baik IC Markets Mendaftar Undo Trump said it "was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate peace." Moscow said earlier on Wednesday that military options were "on the table" for its response to Ukrainian attacks deep inside Russia and accused the West of being involved in them. Live Events Russia also urged the U.S. and Britain to restrain Kyiv after the attacks, which Ukrainian officials have lauded as showing Kyiv can still fight back after more than three years of war. British and U.S. officials have said they had no prior knowledge of the weekend attacks on Russian nuclear-capable long-range bombers. In his social media post, Trump said he and Putin also discussed Iran. Putin suggested he would participate in talks aimed at reaching a new nuclear deal with Tehran, Trump said. "I stated to President Putin that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and, on this, I believe that we were in agreement," Trump said. He accused Iran of "slowwalking" decisions regarding the talks.
Time of India
22 minutes ago
- Time of India
Virat Kohli reacts to tragic Bengaluru stampede near Chinnaswamy Stadium, says 'at a loss for words, absolutely gutted'
Virat Kohli on Wednesday reacted to the tragic stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium during the special feliciation even for RCB winning the IPL trophy after a wait of 18 years. "At a loss for words. Absolutely gutted," said Kohli in a post on X, while sharing RCB's statement. Following the death of 11 people in a stampede on Wednesday near the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchise expressed "heartfelt condolences" to the families of the deceased. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Beyond Text Generation: An AI Tool That Helps You Write Better Grammarly Install Now Undo The incident occurred on Wednesday during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL winning celebrations near the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium when thousands of fans gathered to catch a glimpse of their favourite player. "We are deeply anguished by the unfortunate incidents that have come to light through media reports regarding public gatherings all over Bengaluru in anticipation of the team's arrival this afternoon. The safety and well-being of everyone is of utmost importance to us. RCB mourns the tragic loss of lives and extends our heartfelt condolences to the affected families," RCB said in a statement. Live Events "Immediately upon being made aware of the situation, we promptly amended our program and followed the guidance and advice of the local administration. We urge all our supporters to please stay safe," the statement added. Joyous celebrations takes a tragic turn The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) team's IPL victory celebrations event in Bengaluru on Wednesday turned into a major tragedy with at least 11 persons confirmed dead and about 47 persons injured in a stampede outside of Chinnaswamy Stadium near Vidhana Soudha. As Chief Minister Siddaramaiah led the first round of felicitation of the RCB stars on the steps of Vidhana Soudha, trouble was brewing close by which the administration failed to anticipate. Crowds had swelled outside of the stadium with little or no control on the movement of people. It looked like a sea of humanity with hundreds of thousands of people over a kilometre or two. The joy and loud cheers of ecstatic cricket fans that began Tuesday night after the team lifted the cup continued well into Wednesday and reached its peak soon after the RCB players landed in Bengaluru. The day began with a series of confusion over the type of reception the team members must get.
Time of India
33 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Russia will respond to Ukraine attack': Donald Trump, Putin talk over phone; Iran's nuclear deal also discussed
US President Donald Trump (left), Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) US President Donald Trump revealed that he held a tense phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, discussing the recent Ukrainian strike on Russian airfields and growing concerns over Iran's nuclear ambitions. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the call with Putin lasted 'approximately one hour and 15 minutes' and was 'a good conversation,' though he admitted it would not 'lead to immediate Peace.' The two leaders discussed 'various other attacks that have been taking place by both sides.' According to Trump, Putin 'very strongly' indicated that Russia would respond to Ukraine's recent airfield attack. The Russian military has accused Kyiv of damaging several docked aircraft in an overnight drone strike on Russian soil, a claim Ukraine has neither confirmed nor denied. The call comes just days after Trump gave Putin a blunt two-week deadline to show concrete progress toward ending the war in Ukraine. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump warned that unless Russia proves it is serious about peace, 'we'll respond a little bit differently.' Earlier on Monday, Ukrainian and Russian delegations held a second round of peace talks in Istanbul, their second meeting in just over two weeks. However, Russia refused to agree to an unconditional ceasefire. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The talks took place shortly after Ukraine carried out a surprise attack on four Russian airbases spread across the country. Discussing Iran's nuclear weapon issue he told Putin, 'I stated to President Putin that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.' He believed that the Russian leader also agreed over this. 'President Putin suggested that he will participate in the discussions with Iran and that he could, perhaps, be helpful in getting this brought to a rapid conclusion,' he said. He further added that the country had been 'slowwalking their decision on this very important matter,' and 'we will need a definitive answer in a very short period of time!' he said. Meanwhile, earlier on Wednesday, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that the US proposal for the nuclear agreement was against the country's national interest. The call came after the US President had earlier issued a stark ultimatum to Putin, giving him a two week deadline to prove his seriousness about ending the war and bringing peace in Ukraine. He also warned that Russia of resorting to a 'different' approach had in case Putin had not been genuine about informing the US.
