Foreign hostages captured by Islamic State were subjected to numerous mock beheadings and were unaware they were about be killed, a former member of the jihadi group has said, offering an apparent explanation for why they seem so calm when reading statements to camera.

A former translator, “Saleh”, said in an interview with Sky News that he was employed by the group to convince foreign hostages they were safe, before they were killed in videos featuring Mohammed Emwazi, the 26-year-old radical known as “Jihadi John”.

Hostages such as the US journalist James Foley and the British aid worker Alan Henning appeared unafraid when they read messages on camera moments before they were murdered.



Speaking to Sky News from Turkey, Saleh said Emwazi ordered him to reassure the captives. “He would say to me ‘say to them, no problem, only video, we don’t kill you, we want from your government [to] stop attacking Syria. We don’t have any problem with you; you are only our visitors’.

“So they don’t worry. Always I say to them ‘don’t worry, doesn’t matter, nothing dangerous for you. But at the end I was sure [they would die].”

Saleh also confirmed that Emwazi is the man known as “Jihadi John”, adding that he witnessed Emwazi murder Japanese hostage Kenji Goto.

Japanese journalist Kenji Goto delivering a lecture during a symposium in Tokyo in 2010. Photograph: -/AFP/Getty Images

Saleh explained that Emwazi was employed as the chief killer of foreign hostages for Isis’s propaganda wing. His ruthless willingness to murder foreigners meant that he was feared and respected by others, Saleh added.

“Maybe because he use the knife,” he said. “I cannot understand why he is so strong. One man can kill and all people will respect. A Syrian man anyone [in Isis] can kill. But strangers [foreigners], only John.”

He said: “When he killed Kenji Goto I live showed this [saw this] but not near, from a little [distance].

“After he was killed him, three or four person come and take over the body and put in a car. After that, John went on a different road.

“The big boss was there with them. Turkish man say ‘put this camera there, change place there’ but John [was] the big boss. All time, all time say to all ‘fastly, fastly, fastly, we should finish’. So respect him. Only he talks orders – others do.”