The intensity of the moment is palpable, as finally the members of the family of the Western hostages who were brutally tortured and killed by the so-called “Beatles” of IS in Syria spent their day in a US court. One by one, they stand just meters away from the killers of their loved ones, and come to a microphone to read dazzling, heartfelt statements from victims. Alexanda Kotey, who has pleaded guilty to terrorism charges, sits and listens in a green prison uniform, framed by his defense team. El Shafee Elsheikh, recently convicted, sits across from him. Image: Alexanda Kotey was sentenced to life in prison Read more: Life sentence for his role in the torture and murder of Western hostages in Alexandra Kotei “Look at me”, Shirley Sotloff demands from the two men, as she prepares to read her speech dedicated to her son, the journalist Steven Sotloff, who was killed at the hands of Kotei and Elseikh in 2014. “Taking Steven’s life so brutally is beyond comprehension … you ruined our lives,” he tells them. Image: Journalist Steven Sotloff was killed by the extremist group Many of the family members struggle with tears as they go to court. Perhaps the most painful moment comes when Athea Haines, the daughter of aid worker David Haines, breaks into the microphone. “I lost my father at the age of four,” he says. “It’s not easy to be that kid at school whose father was killed by terrorists.” Image: Humanist David Haynes was among the victims of the Islamic State Martha Mueller, the mother of the murdered humanitarian aid worker Kayla Mueller, can not look at Kotey or Elsheikh. “I wake up many times at night and think about it,” she says in tears. Carl’s husband holds a gentle hand on her shoulder as support. “We have no idea how many ISIS leaders raped our daughter,” said Mueller. “We are not seeking revenge, just the truth.” Image: Karl and Marcia Mueller, Kayla Mueller’s parents, pictured in 2021 Many of these family members do not know what happened to their loved ones in their last moments or where their remains are. Many of them talk about insomnia, increased anxiety and PTSD, but in their impressively moving statements, many of them also talk about hope, unity and forgiveness. “I choose to let my heart open and not break,” says Paula Kassig, as she recalls her son, Peter Kassig, a humanitarian worker. For these families, today was not only the day Alexanda Kotey was sentenced to life in prison, it was the end of a decade-long ordeal to bring the killers of their loved ones to justice.
