Sweden jails ISIS member for life over burning of Jordanian pilot
On Thursday, a Swedish court sentenced ISIS member Osama Krayem to life in prison for his role in the killing of Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh, who was burned alive by the extremist group in Syria in 2015.
Al-Kasasbeh was captured by ISIS on December 24, 2014, after a Jordanian F-16 crashed near Raqqa during a mission as part of the US-led Coalition campaign against the group.
In a statement by the Stockholm District Court, Judge Anna Liljenberg Gullesjo stated that the defendant was present at the site of the execution, wearing military clothing and armed, adding that he consented to being filmed and played a decisive role in the events that led to the victim's death.
This marks the first time a court has issued a verdict in connection with al-Kasasbeh's murder in February 2015, when ISIS released a propaganda video showing the Jordanian pilot locked in a cage and set on fire.
The court concluded that Krayem, 32, helped guard al-Kasasbeh before and during the execution, transported him to the cage, and remained armed while filming took place. Although another ISIS militant is believed to have lit the fire, the court found his role essential and grounds for conviction.
According to DW, Krayem traveled to Syria in September 2014 to join ISIS and later took part in the November 2015 Paris attacks that killed 130 people and the March 2016 Brussels bombings that left 32 dead.
Krayem was sentenced to 30 years in prison after being convicted on charges ranging from complicity to murder. French media reported that France agreed last March to extradite Krayem to Sweden for investigation and trial.
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