Swedish Citizen Sentenced to Life for 2015 Death of Jordanian Pilot Muath al-Kassasbeh
Swedish Man Sentenced to Life for Role in Jordanian Pilot's Killing
A Swedish court has sentenced Osama Krayem to life in prison for his role in the gruesome 2015 killing of Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh by ISIS. The pilot was burned alive in a cage in Syria.
The 22-minute footage, which detailed the horrific event, showed Krayem, masked and armed, present at the execution site. He was also found to have contributed significantly to the death of the victim, making him a perpetrator, according to the judge at the Stockholm District Court.
Krayem's conviction is significant as it marks the first time a court has tried a person over the infamous killing of the Jordanian pilot. The Swedish court ruled that Krayem's armed presence and active involvement in the execution made him complicit, warranting life imprisonment.
Prior to this, Krayem was already serving a life sentence in Belgium for his involvement in the 2016 terrorist bombings in Brussels. His role in Belgium included association with these attacks, although the operational details of his participation in the Paris attacks have been less emphasized compared to the Brussels case. In Belgium, he was found guilty as part of the ISIL terror cell responsible for bombing attacks.
Regarding his role in the Jordanian pilot's killing, Krayem was convicted for war crimes and terrorism. He was transferred to Sweden from France to stand trial in Stockholm.
The killing of al-Kasasbeh prompted international outrage. ISIS gave the reason for the killing as Jordan's participation in the United States-led coalition's strikes against ISIL positions in Syria. Jordan declared a period of mourning following the pilot's death.
The pilot was captured by ISIS on the same day as his aircraft, belonging to the Royal Jordanian Air Force, crashed in Syria. The exact date of his death, before February 3, 2015, was provided by the prosecution.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time Krayem has been involved in terror-related activities. He has already been serving long prison sentences for his role in the Paris and Brussels attacks in 2015 and 2016.
There was no immediate comment by Krayem's Swedish lawyer regarding the sentence.
[1] [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sweden-isis-sentence/swedish-court-sentences-man-to-life-term-for-role-in-2015-killing-of-jordanian-pilot-idUSKBN25K261] [2] [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46217990] [4] [https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/11/sweden-sentences-isis-member-to-life-over-2015-execution-of-pilot]
- The conviction of Osama Krayem marks a significant breaking news event, as it is the first court trial over the gruesome 2015 killing of Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh by ISIS, a tragedy that sparked international outrage and was classified as war crime and terrorism.
- The Swedish court's ruling on Krayem, an individual already serving a life sentence in Belgium for his involvement in the 2016 terrorist bombings and earlier linked to the 2015 Paris attacks, highlights the complexity of war-and-conflicts, politics, general-news, and crime-and-justice in the modern world.
- As Krayem's sentence for his role in the Jordanian pilot's killing sends a strong message to combat terrorism, his case serves as a powerful reminder of the consequences of one's actions and the interconnected nature of global issues, including war and conflicts, politics, and crime-and-justice.
