
Two Londoners who were part of the ISIS beheading gang dubbed 'The Beatles' and helped to capture, torture and kill more than 20 Western hostages have given an astonishing interview from captivity.

The two men El Shafee Elsheikh, 29, known as George and Alexanda Amon Kotey, 34, known as Ringo criticised Britain for revoking their citizenship and claimed they will not get a fair trial wherever it takes place.

Kotey said the execution of hostages including journalist James Foley and Brit Alan Henning by Jihadi John in propaganda videos was 'regrettable' and tried to shift the blame from himself.

They spoke to The Associated Press in an interview from their captivity Friday in northern Syria, the first to a media outlet since their detention.

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Londoners Alexanda Amon Kotey (left), known as Ringo, and El Shafee Elsheikh, known as George, gave the damning interview from their captivity

El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Amon Kotey were captured in early January in eastern Syria by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.

In the interview, they slammed the 'audacity' of the British government for its 'illegal' decision to strip their citizenship.

They did not admit any involvement in hostage-takings or beheadings.

Alexanda Amon Kotey reads a MailOnline article about his British citizenship being revoked while detained in Syria

Pictured: Kurdish security escorts the two blindfolded British ISIS Beatles members at a security centre in Kobani, Syria

Kotey (left) blamed Western governments for the deaths of some of their victims. He said hostages died because governments refused to negotiate ransoms

The cell became known for its brutality, holding in captivity more than 20 Western hostages, and torturing and killing several, including American, British and Japanese journalists and aid workers, in 2014 and 2015.

Though they spoke of their membership in the Islamic State group, they did not admit to belonging to the cell or to have been involved in any of the kidnappings or killings.

Elsheikh called the allegations 'propaganda.'

Asked about the beheadings of American journalist James Foley and other victims, Kotey said many in ISIS 'would have disagreed' with the killings 'on the grounds that there is probably more benefit in them being political prisoners.'

Elsheikh (left), 29, and Kotey, 34, were captured in Syria in January while trying to escape to Turkey, according to Kurdish-led forces

The alleged killers, pictured being transported to a security centre, said the UK revoking their citizenship denies them fair trial

Though they spoke of their membership in the Islamic State group, they did not admit to belonging to the cell or to have been involved in any of the kidnappings or killings

'As for my position, I didn't see any benefit. It was something that was regrettable,' he added. He also blamed Western governments for failing to negotiate, noting that some hostages were released for ransoms.

The leader of the cell, Mohammed Emwazi, was dubbed 'Jihadi John' in the British media after he appeared, masked, in a string of videos showing beheadings of the hostages. He was killed in a U.S.-led coalition drone strike in 2015 in the Syrian city of Raqqa, the de facto IS capital. Another member, Aine Lesley Davis, was arrested in Turkey and convicted there in 2017, sentenced to seven years in prison.

How the two Beatles were snared by their fingerprints... and may already be handing over vital information Kotey and Elsheikh were captured by the Kurdish-led Syrian democratic forces and identified by fingerprints and other biometric means, according to anonymous U.S. officials speaking to the New York Times. They were carrying mobile phones and other electronic equipment, which intelligence officials have gleaned for information. American spies will be especially keen to quiz the pair on the locations of surviving ISIS militants hiding out along the Euphrates River Valley near the border between Syria and Iraq. And officials will hope the men will have information about other hostages, such as the British journalist John Cantlie, who was abducted with his U.S. colleague James Foley in 2012 and has appeared in a series of ISIS propaganda videos. Advertisement

Elsheikh, whose family came to Britain from Sudan when he was a child, was a mechanic from White City in west London. Kotey, who is of Ghanaian and Greek-Cypriot descent and converted to Islam in his 20s, is from London's Paddington neighborhood. Both have been interrogated by U.S. officials since their capture.

Elsheikh traveled to Syria in 2012, initially joining al-Qaida's branch before moving on to IS, according to the U.S. State Department's listing of the two men for terrorism sanctions. It said he 'earned a reputation for waterboarding, mock executions and crucifixions while serving as an (IS) jailer.'

Kotey served as a guard for the execution cell and 'likely engaged in the group's executions and exceptionally cruel torture methods, including electronic shock and waterboarding,' the State Department said.

In the interview, the two men denounced the media for the spreading allegations of the 'Beatles' cell, at one point depicting the accusations as concocted as a pretext to kill them with drone strikes in Syria.

'No fair trial, when I am `the Beatle' in the media. No fair trial,' Elsheikh said.

They also denounced as 'illegal' the British government's decision in February to strip them of citizenship. The decision was widely reported in British media, though officials have not confirmed or denied it, citing privacy rules.

The revocation of citizenship exposes them to 'rendition and torture,' Elsheikh said, 'being taken to any foreign land and treated in anyway and having nobody to vouch for you.'

'When you have these two guys who don't even have any citizenship ...if we just disappear one day, where is my mom going to go and say where is my son,' he said.

The capture of the two men has sparked a debate over where and how to prosecute them. The U.S. has been pressing for the home countries of foreign jihadis in Iraq and Syria to take their nationals for trial.

Mohammed Emwazi, who was killed in a US air strike in 2015, appeared in a number of videos in which captives including British aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning were beheaded

Britain's defense secretary has said they should not be allowed back into the country. Former captives of the cell and families of its victims have called on Elsheikh and Kotey to be given a fair trial, whether in the United States or Britain.

The pair were captured amid fears they were trying to return to the UK intending to bring bloodshed to British streets.

Along with Mohammed Emwazi - the killer nicknamed Jihadi John (pictured) - and Aine Davis, Kotey and Elsheikh are believed to have been part of a group named after the Beatles because of their English accents

Officials hope that both Britons' capture may lead to information on what happened to remaining hostages, including British journalist John Cantlie, who appeared in a series of propaganda videos and then vanished.

It is also hoped that they may yield information about the whereabouts of their victims' bodies.

Along with Mohammed Emwazi - the killer nicknamed Jihadi John - and Aine Davis, the pair are thought to have been part of a group named after the '60s band because of their English accents.

The four Londoners were linked to dozens of hostage murders in Iraq and Syria while serving under the self-styled caliphate.

Jihadi John was killed in an airstrike in 2015 in Syria. A fourth man, Aine Davis, is imprisoned in Turkey on terrorism charges.

The US government said the Beatles beheaded more than 27 hostages.

According to the State Department, Kotey 'likely engaged in the group's executions and exceptionally cruel torture methods, including electronic shock and waterboarding.'

Kotey also acted as an ISIS recruiter and was responsible for recruiting several Brits to join the murderous organisation.

The State Department said 'Elsheikh was said to have earned a reputation for waterboarding, mock executions and crucifixions while serving as an ISIS jailer.'

Former child refugee Elsheikh supported Queens Park Rangers and worked as a fairground mechanic.

He was born in Sudan, but his family fled the country and came to Britain in the early 1990s.

Elsheikh became heavily influenced by the sermons of a West London imam known for his radical beliefs.

The fourth member, Davis, was convicted of being a member of a terrorist organisation and jailed for seven-and-a-half years at a court in Silivri, Turkey, in May 2017

His father, Rashid Sidahmed Elsheikh, a translator and poet living in London, said his son had travelled to Syria to fight for jihadis at the start of 2012.

He described his son's radicalisation as 'lightning-fast'.

He said: 'We tried to handle this in a mild, considerate way but before we could do anything, he just left.'

Elsheikh's mother, Maya Elgizouli, said Elsheikh was the middle son of three raised alone by her after the family moved to Britain.

But she said he was affected badly when his eldest brother Khalid was sentenced to ten years in prison for possessing a firearm after the killing of a gang member involved in a dispute with the family.

Elsheikh's younger brother, Mahmoud, was killed fighting for ISIS in Iraq last year after following him to the war zone as a 17-year-old.

Salah al-Bander, a former Cambridge Liberal Democrat councillor who raised the alarm about Elsheikh's journey to Syria in 2012, said he had a stall outside Shepherd's Bush tube station from which he used to preach, adding that he was 'completely transformed' into a radical in a short period.

He told The Guardian: 'El Shafee was a really very quiet, kind, reflective young person. In a very short period of time, I mean weeks, he turned to be very radicalised, with very strong views about everything.'

Kotey, also a QPR supporter, was from Paddington and raised in a Greek Orthodox family. Neighbours said he was a 'reserved, polite boy'.

He converted to Islam after falling in love with a Muslim woman and had two daughters with her.

In January 2017, US authorities named Kotey as a member of the cell and said they had imposed sanctions on him.

Davis, a former tube driver and drug dealer from Hammersmith in west London who went to Syria in 2013, reportedly told a BBC journalist to 'f*** off' when asked to comment on the verdict.

According to the BBC, Davis was asked in court about his involvement with the terror cell and denied involvement.

'I am not ISIS. I went to Syria because there was oppression in my country,' he said.

Davis is thought to have converted to Islam shortly after being jailed in the UK in 2006 for possessing a firearm.

The son of a dinner lady and a John Lewis shopworker, he took the name Hamza and travelled the Middle East.

He befriended Emwazi at a mosque in west London shortly before leaving for Syria.

He is believed to have travelled to Syria in late 2012, where he fought for ISIS.

He abandoned four children by two different mothers when he left Britain on a flight to Amsterdam.

In 2014 Davis's wife, Amal El-Wahabi, then 27, became the first woman to be jailed for terrorism offences connected to Syria after she was caught paying a smuggler to take €20,000 (£17,000) in cash to Turkey for her husband.

She was jailed for two years.

'John': Man Utd fan who turned into the most reviled man in the world Mohammed Emwazi later became the most reviled man in the world as ISIS's most notorious executioner Jihadi John Kuwaiti born Mohammed Emwazi, became the most reviled man in the world as ISIS's most notorious executioner Jihadi John. However, reports suggest he appeared to embrace British life after moving to the country as a six-year-old in 1993. Neighbours remember a polite, quiet boy who supported Manchester United, wore 'Western clothing' and played football on the affluent streets of west London. He became more religious after moving to Quintin Kynaston Community Academy, a secondary school in St John's Wood, in 1999. But it was only after he won a place studying computing at the University of Westminster that his behaviour began to change. The university has since been linked with several proponents of radical Islam - and Emwazi appeared to have fallen under their sway. He began attending different mosques and was known to associate with Bilal el-Berjawi, who was killed by a drone strike in Somalia four years ago. Emwazi, Alexanda Kotey and Aine Davis all attended the al-Manaar mosque in Labroke Grove, where Kotey emerged as the ring leader. The knife-wielding killer - dubbed 'Jihadi John' - beheaded hostages, including British aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning, on camera. Emwazi is also believed to have killed the American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, as well as Abdul-Rahman Kassig, an aid worker. Advertisement

'Ringo': A 'polite' west London boy who fought for ISIS Alexanda Kotey, said to be a fan of Queens Park Rangers, was also described by neighbours as a 'polite' boy Alexanda Kotey, said to be a fan of Queens Park Rangers, was once described by neighbours as a 'polite' boy. But after he left the UK to join ISIS in Syria, he used social media to continue radicalising young men, an old friend told ITV. They added: 'The way he secretly operated he was a roadman, a gangster. 'He had the skills of influencing people he could see as influential or vulnerable so they could bring their friends in. 'They would have used the same tactics as gangs to recruit people. Like grooming, he gave them a sense of belonging. 'They couldn't get job or uni course they wanted. 'Through remote network and services, he would have people he delegated responsibility to. They could have helped and advise them on how to get to Syria.' Father-of-two Kotey, who is half Ghanaian, half Greek Cypriot, is believed to have been one of ISIS' key recruiters and helped them radicalise young men from London. He used to be a member of the Greek Orthodox Church but is said to have converted to Islam in his teens. He attended the al-Manaar mosque in Ladbroke Grove, west London, with Emwazi and Davis, it was reported. A local community worker said the trio were 'physically ejected' from the mosque because of their extremist views. They said 'He would definitely be standing there with, I'd say a dozen boys all listening to him. He was the speaker. He was the spokesman in that little group. 'It was Alex most definitely who was the lynchpin. The mosque did so much to keep these people at the fringes.' Advertisement

'Paul': A west London gangster and gun runner turned ISIS guard The third so called 'Beatle', Aine Davis, originally from Hammersmith, travelled to Syria to become an ISIS guard The fourth so called 'Beatle', Aine Davis, originally from Hammersmith, travelled to Syria to become an ISIS guard. Prior to fleeing the UK, Davis was convicted six times for possessing cannabis and was also heavily involved in gang circles, where he was known as 'Biggz.' The gangster worked as a gun runner, selling handguns before the weapons factory he worked for was busted by police. Davis is thought to have converted to Islam shortly after being jailed in the UK in 2006 for possessing a firearm. The son of a dinner lady and a John Lewis shopworker, he took the name Hamza and travelled the Middle East. He met his wife Amal el-Wahabi at Westbourne Park mosque in 2006 and despite the disapproval of her parents, they developed a close relationship. Davis' new found interest in religion led him to persuade his girlfriend that they should move to Yemen. He was detained by police in Turkey last year on suspicion of plotting a terrorist attack. His wife, Amal El-Wahabi, was jailed in 2014 for funding terrorism. When police raided his wife's home, Davis's iPod revealed he used to listen to lectures by radical American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. Advertisement

'George': Former mechanic who beheaded 27 hostages The fourth and final member of the infamous ISIS execution squad with Jihadi John El Shafee Elsheikh (pictured, as a teen) The third member of the infamous ISIS execution squad with Jihadi John El Shafee Elsheikh. Described as a 'kind and softly spoken' former fairground mechanic, from west London, he turned into a ISIS extremist who was part of the gang that beheaded 27 hostages and tortured many more in Syria. Elsheikh grew up in White City, just a few miles other members of the cell, and his mother said he was radicalised at local mosques within weeks of hearing sermons by infamous hate preacher Hani al-Sibai. He later travelled to Syria in 2012 to fight his holy war, and his younger brother Mahmoud followed him - and was killed fighting in Iraq last year. Elsheikh's identity was confirmed by a former US counter-terrorism official and investigators working to find The Beatles. The terrorist, who lived in Syria with two wives and two young children, has been captured after being hunted by security services on both sides of the Atlantic. His mother, Maha Elgizouli, revealed how the family moved to White City in west London when Elsheikh was just five years old, along with his two brothers. Both of his parents had fled the civil war in Sudan in the 1990s - where they were both members of the Communist Party - but the father, a poet, left the family when Elsheikh was just seven years old. They grew up a few miles from the first of the infamous Beatles group to be exposed, Mohammed Emwazi - who later became known as Jihadi John but was killed in a drone strike in 2015. Advertisement