Defence Minister Calls For Two British Jihadists To Be Tried At The Hague

The Defence Minister and former army captain, Tobias Ellwood, has called for 2 British jihadists captured in Syria to be tried at the international criminal court in The Hague.

Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh are accused of being part of an execution unit of the Islamic State group. 

Reports suggest that the pair have been stripped of their UK citizenship.

Tobias Ellwood told two newspapers it was important that "terrorists from any origin are transparently and fairly held account for their actions".

So far there have been no reports of a request to hand the pair over to any country. It has been suggested they could be sent to the US military prison Guantanamo Bay.

Mr. Ellwood also said he believes there should be an agreed international process for captured fighters:

"Guantanamo Bay created a new combatant status that bypassed the Geneva convention, used torture and failed to address a wider global jihadist insurgency that continues today,"

"The horror of 9/11 meant we briefly lost sight of the standards and rule of law that took centuries to develop and fundamentally distinguish us from the terrorist."

He added: "Given the scale of foreign fighters we should consider an agreed international process involving The Hague, which ensures terrorists from any origin are transparently and fairly held account for their actions."

A US Department of Defence spokesman said they were "still considering options".

"Rest assured our intention is to hold anyone accountable who commits acts like those they are alleged to have committed," Major Adrian Rankine-Galloway from the department said.

He confirmed the captured fighters were being held by US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in a "detention location" in Syria.