British Isis ‘Beatle’ Ringo says Jihadi John beheading videos were ‘entertainment’
A member of the infamous Isis “Beatles” has said that the group’s beheading videos were “entertainment”.
Alexanda Kotey, 35, nicknamed “Ringo”, who is being held in a prison in northern Syria, says he wants to return to the UK with his wife and three daughters, aged one, three and five.
The most senior British Isis terrorist still alive told the Daily Mirror he was sorry for his crimes but was “grateful” for his time in Isis because he was able to take a jihadi bride.
The notorious “Beatles” cell is believed to have participated in the killing of at least seven hostages.
Their leader, Mohammed Emwazi, known as “Jihadi John”, was seen in a number of beheading videos. He was later killed in a drone strike in Syria in November 2015. The other members were El Shafee Elsheikh and Aine Davis.
Kotey said he wept when he learned the news of his fellow Londoner Emwazi’s death.
He said he too would have beheaded people if a gun had been put to his head.
In an interview from prison, he said of the beheading videos: “I didn’t condemn it. That was the environment.”
He said he disapproved of Jihadi John beheading westerners, but added: “Is there no other way to deal with these people?”
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Asked if he would have beheaded people, he said: “I can’t say to be honest. I can’t say I agree with it and I don’t know what I would do in that situation.
“Obviously, if there was a gun put to my head, I definitely… I wouldn’t know… I would do.”
Kotey said he and other Isis members laughed at the videos.
“Nobody thought they were beneficial in any way,” he said. “We used to mock them, we would ridicule them.
“We would laugh at the state, obviously not laughing at the beheadings, but this was all staged.
“I guess this is entertainment, unfortunately. There’s a large portion of people who see it as entertainment.”
Kotey said he wants his wife to move to the UK, even though he has been stripped of his British citizenship.
“As far as I’m concerned I am British and I’ll remain British,” he said.
