Hostage survivor testifies in trial of ISIS member accused in deaths of several Americans

During the second day of his trial, Italian aid worker Federico Motka told the jury that he was captured, held, and tortured in a terrorist cell along with other hostages, the last of them. were killed, including the Americans. James Foley, Steven SotloffKayla Mueller and Peter Kassig.

The so-called Beatles – as the hostages called them because of their British accent – were the main hostage handlers and, according to the Justice Department, Elsheikh was the last of the group to stand trial. His co-defendant pleaded guilty in September and another member, Mohamed Emwazi, was killed in a drone attack in 2015.

Motka was moved to various locations during his 14-month detention, one of which was a small room with a low roof that the hostages nicknamed “The Box”. There, they had to endure what Motka called a “punishment regime.”

Beating, starving and execution

The Beatles, along with what the hostages call “The Punisher”, will beat and torture Haines, Motka, journalist Foley – one of the Americans accused against Elsheikh – and his colleague, British journalist John Cantlie.

Motka says the group distinguished the Beatles – who they called John, George and Ringo – by their preferred playing style.

“George is more into boxing. John, he kicks a lot,” Motka said, adding that Ringo, who prosecutors say is Elsheikh, “likes wrestling (and) headers.” Motka testified on Thursday that one of those obstacles left Foley unconscious.

According to Motka, the hostages were regularly kicked, punched and beaten with cables by the Beatles and forced to “hold tense positions for hours.” Motka testified that they were also forced to fight each other for fun.

“We barely had the muscle strength to lift our arms,” says Motka.

According to Motka, the Beatles failed him and several other hostages. “It was the worst thing that had happened so far,” he said, after describing the loss of oxygen, inhaling water and panicking. “There is not a minute of peace.”

Motka said the hostages had lost between 50 and 70 pounds by the time of the windsurfing, then became completely emaciated. Once they get food, they can’t keep it. During a long transport in an IS caravan, the hostages survived for several days in a truck, he testified.

The courtroom was also shown video footage of a Syrian hostage shot in the head, kneeling on the edge of a dug grave.

Motka identified herself as part of a group of hostages, who were kneeling on the other side of the grave and each holding handwritten signs demanding ransom for their release.

One of the Beatles, Motka testified, asked him what he thought of the execution.

“It was horrible,” Motka said.

The Beatle, Motka testified, replied: “That’s a good answer.”