The British government has reportedly halted cooperating with the U.S. over two British members of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) due to concerns they could face the death penalty.

Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, who are accused of involvement in the killing of more than two dozen hostages, are two members of a cell of ISIS fighters known as “The Beatles” because of their British accents.

The U.K. government faced backlash earlier this month after agreeing to cooperate with the U.S. and share intelligence about the cases without seeking assurance that they would not face the death penalty if extradited to the U.S.

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The U.K.’s Home Office said this week that it had agreed to "a short-term pause" of legal assistance following a request from lawyers representing one of the men's family, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

“The government remains committed to bringing these people to justice,” the spokesman said.

The U.K. abolished capital punishment in 1998. The U.S. has not said whether it would seek their extradition.

The two men were detained by U.S.-backed Kurdish forces in Syria earlier this year, and have had their U.K. citizenship revoked.

British Security Minister Ben Wallace on Monday defended the government’s decision not to require assurances on the death penalty, citing concerns that if the fighters were not brought to trial in the U.S. they could be released.

The State Department has said that Kotey and Elsheik engaged in torture and recruitment for ISIS, and were likely involved in the beheadings of British, Japanese and American journalists, including James Foley and Steven Sotloff. The U.S. has not charged the two men.

A State Department spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal that the U.S. is continuing to "explore all diplomatic channels."