Convicted ISIS Beatle El Shafee Elsheikh is trying to avoid being sent to America’s brutal supermaximum prison claiming poor mental health.
Last week, Elsheikh, 34, was sentenced to eight life sentences after being found guilty of being part of a terrorist cell.
He is almost certain to be sent to ADX Florence in Colorado – home to some of the world’s deadliest terrorists, serial killers, white supremacists and hitmen.
The prison, nicknamed the Alcatraz of the Rockies, holds inmates in solitary confinement with no outside view.
They are held in their cells for 23 hours before being given one hour a day to exercise in a yard alone.
Lawyers for Elsheikh, of West London, argue he should be sent to a softer prison, citing evidence of seven prisoners who have allegedly taken their own lives.
“Sending Mr Elsheikh, an individual already showing signs of mental and physical deterioration from his present and past detention, to Florence ADX is not an appropriate sentence,” they say in US court papers.
Inmates include fellow Brits, the hate preacher Abu Hamza and shoe bomber Richard Reid, with drug lord El Chapo, and 9/11 terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui.
Elsheikh was found guilty of hostage-taking resulting in death, murder conspiracy and conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist group.
Hostages held by him and his fellow militants nicknamed them “The Beatles” due to their British accents. Their victims included British volunteers David Haines and Alan Henning.
Elsheikh travelled with Alexanda Kotey, 38, to Syria, where they joined an affiliate of al-Qaeda.
Later, they swore allegiance to Isis and joined fellow Brit “Jihadi John” Mohammed Emwazi, who was killed by the in 2015.
Kotey pleaded guilty in a plea bargain and was sentenced to life in April.
Elsheikh will be sentenced at a later date.
