Latest news with #MuathAlKasasbeh
The National
4 days ago
- General
- The National
Sweden tries ISIS member over Jordanian pilot burned to death in Syria
A convicted Swedish extremist went on trial in Stockholm on Wednesday accused of war crimes for his role in the 2014 killing of a Jordanian pilot who was burnt alive in Syria. The case is considered unique as the others involved in the brutal killing, which sparked international outrage at the time, are presumed dead, the Swedish prosecutor Henrik Olin said as the trial began. Osama Krayem, a 32-year-old Swede, is already serving long prison sentences for his roles in the Paris and Brussels attacks in 2015 and 2016. He now faces charges of "serious war crimes and terrorist crimes" for his alleged participation in the killing of the Jordanian pilot. On December 24, 2014, an aircraft belonging to the Royal Jordanian Air Force crashed in Syria. Jordan was participating in the US-led coalition's strikes against ISIS positions in Syria. The pilot was captured the same day by fighters from the ISIS group near the central city of Raqqa and he was burnt alive in a cage sometime before February 3, 2015, when a video of the gruesome killing was published, according to the prosecution. The propaganda video was one of the first such videos released by ISIS. "Osama Krayem, together and in agreement with other perpetrators belonging to ISIS, killed Muath Al Kasasbeh," the prosecutor Reena Devgun told the court on Wednesday. "Osama Krayem, in uniform and armed, guarded and led the victim Muath Al Kasasbeh to a metal cage, where the latter was then locked up. One of the co-perpetrators then set fire to Muath Al Kasasbeh, who had no possibility to defend himself or call for help," Mr Devgun said. Mr Krayem, wearing a dark blue shirt and with a thick beard and long, loose dark hair, had his back to the handful of spectators who followed Wednesday's proceedings behind a glass wall in the high-security courtroom in Stockholm's district court. He appeared calm as the prosecution laid out the charges, which could result in a life sentence if he is convicted. In the 22-minute video of the killing, the victim is seen walking past several masked IS fighters, including Mr Krayem, according to prosecutors. The pilot is then seen being locked in the cage and praying as he is set on fire. Prosecutors have been unable to determine the exact date of the murder but the investigation has identified the location. It was thanks to a scar on the suspect's eyebrow, visible in the video and spotted by Belgian police, that Mr Krayem was identified and the investigation was opened, Mr Devgun said when the charges were announced last week. Other evidence in the case includes conversations on social media, including one in which Mr Krayem asks a person if he has seen a new video "where a man gets fried", according to the investigation, a copy of which has been viewed by AFP. The defendant's lawyer, Petra Eklund, told AFP before the start of the trial that her client admitted to being present at the scene but disputed the prosecution's version. "He denies the acts for which he is prosecuted," she said. Mr Krayem, who is from Malmo in southern Sweden, joined ISIS in Syria in 2014 before returning to Europe in September 2015. He was arrested in Belgium in April 2016. In June 2022, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison in France for helping plan the November 2015 Paris attacks in which 130 people were killed. The following year, he was given a life sentence in Belgium for participating in the March 2016 bombings at the main airport in Brussels and on the metro system, in which 32 people were killed. Mr Krayem has been temporarily handed over to Sweden for the Stockholm trial, which is scheduled to last until June 26.
Asharq Al-Awsat
27-05-2025
- General
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Sweden Charges Man over 2014 Killing of Jordan Pilot in Syria
Swedish prosecutors pressed charges on Tuesday against a man on suspicion of war crimes and terrorism over the murder of a Jordanian air force pilot who was burned to death in Syria a decade ago. The Swede, named in court documents as Osama Krayem, 32, has previously been convicted of involvement in attacks in Paris in 2015 and in Brussels in 2016. The ISIS militant group, which once imposed a reign of terror over millions of people in Syria and Iraq, captured Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh in December 2014 and later published a video of him being burned alive in a cage. The Swedish Prosecution Authority charged Krayem with gross war crimes and terrorism, the indictment showed, Reuters reported. "Krayem, together with and in agreement with other perpetrators belonging to ISIS, killed/deprived Muath al-Kasasbeh of his life," the authority said in the indictment. It said Krayem had forced the pilot to the cage and that he also posed for a camera, knowing the footage would be dispersed as a manifestation of a plan and ideology advocated by ISIS. Krayem has been temporarily transferred to Sweden from France to stand trial at the Stockholm district court. ISIS controlled swathes of Iraq and Syria between 2014 and 2017, and was defeated in its last bastions in Syria in 2019. Under Swedish legislation, courts can try people for crimes against international law committed abroad.
Arab News
27-05-2025
- General
- Arab News
Sweden charges man over 2014 killing of Jordan pilot in Syria
STOCKHOLM: Swedish prosecutors pressed charges on Tuesday against a man on suspicion of war crimes and terrorism over the murder of a Jordanian air force pilot who was burned to death in Syria a decade ago. The Swede, named in court documents as Osama Krayem, 32, has previously been convicted of involvement in attacks in Paris in 2015 and in Brussels in 2016. The Daesh militant group, which once imposed a reign of terror over millions of people in Syria and Iraq, captured Jordanian pilot Muath Al-Kasasbeh in December 2014 and later published a video of him being burned alive in a cage. The Swedish Prosecution Authority charged Krayem with gross war crimes and terrorism, the indictment showed. 'Krayem, together with and in agreement with other perpetrators belonging to IS, killed/deprived Muath Al-Kasasbeh of his life,' the authority said in the indictment. It said Krayem had forced the pilot to the cage and that he also posed for a camera, knowing the footage would be dispersed as a manifestation of a plan and ideology advocated by Daesh. Krayem's Swedish lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Krayem has been temporarily transferred to Sweden from France to stand trial at the Stockholm district court. Daesh controlled swathes of Iraq and Syria between 2014 and 2017, and was defeated in its last bastions in Syria in 2019. Under Swedish legislation, courts can try people for crimes against international law committed abroad.
Reuters
27-05-2025
- General
- Reuters
Sweden charges man over 2014 killing of Jordan pilot in Syria
STOCKHOLM, May 27 (Reuters) - Swedish prosecutors pressed charges on Tuesday against a man on suspicion of war crimes and terrorism over the murder of a Jordanian air force pilot who was burned to death in Syria a decade ago. The Swede, named in court documents as Osama Krayem, 32, has previously been convicted of involvement in attacks in Paris in 2015 and in Brussels in 2016. The Islamic State militant group, which once imposed a reign of terror over millions of people in Syria and Iraq, captured Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh in December 2014 and later published a video of him being burned alive in a cage. The Swedish Prosecution Authority charged Krayem with gross war crimes and terrorism, the indictment showed. "Krayem, together with and in agreement with other perpetrators belonging to IS, killed/deprived Muath al-Kasasbeh of his life," the authority said in the indictment. It said Krayem had forced the pilot to the cage and that he also posed for a camera, knowing the footage would be dispersed as a manifestation of a plan and ideology advocated by Islamic State. Krayem's Swedish lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Krayem has been temporarily transferred to Sweden from France to stand trial at the Stockholm district court. Islamic State controlled swathes of Iraq and Syria between 2014 and 2017, and was defeated in its last bastions in Syria in 2019. Under Swedish legislation, courts can try people for crimes against international law committed abroad.
Al Bawaba
22-05-2025
- Al Bawaba
Swedish man on trial over Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh's killing
Published May 22nd, 2025 - 12:21 GMT ALBAWABA - Swedish prosecutors announced their bid to indict a convicted Swedish jihadist, called Osama Krayem, for his suspected involvement in the 2014 capture of a Jordanian pilot, Muath al-Kasasbeh, in Syria, AFP reported on Thursday. Muath al-Kasasbeh was caught and burned to death by the Islamic State (Daesh) militant group after his F-16 fighter aircraft crashed over Syria in 2015. Prosecution Authority revealed in a statement that it planned to charge the Swedish citizen, 32, on May 27 with "serious war crimes and terrorist crimes in Syria". It is worth noting that Krayem has already been sentenced for his involvement in attacks in Paris, France, in 2015 and the attacks in Brussels in 2016. © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
