(AP) The Justice Department has notified the British government that it will not pursue the death penalty against two Islamic State militants suspected in the beheadings of Western hostages, removing a hurdle in the potential prosecution of the men in the United States.
The decision could open the door to Britain to begin sharing evidence with federal prosecutors in the U.S. for any possible case against El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey. An earlier British court ruling had effectively blocked the sharing of evidence with American authorities because the U.S. had not offered assurances that the death penalty, which was abolished years ago in the United Kingdom, was off the table.
“I know that the United Kingdom shares our determination that there should be a full investigation and a criminal prosecution of Kotey and Elsheikh,” Attorney General William Barr wrote to British Home Secretary Priti Patel in a letter released by the Justice Department on Wednesday.
