(AP) Incriminating statements made by a British national charged with a significant role in the torture and beheading of American and British hostages held by the Islamic State group can be used against him at trial, a judge has ruled.
El Shafee Elsheikh sought to have statements admitting his role in the scheme tossed out; he claimed they were obtained through torture after he was captured.
But U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, in a ruling issued this week, said his claims were unsupported by testimony taken during a three-day hearing last year.
Elsheikh also objected to the fact that defense interrogators questioned him 26 times before he was advised of his right to remain silent.
