The prosecution’s team therefore relies heavily on Mr Elsheikh’s own public comments about his actions. He gave at least seven news interviews after he was captured by Kurdish forces and handed over to the US military in 2018, revealing knowledge of key operational details and his own role in seeking millions of ransom payments for Western hostages.
Towards the end of his summary, Mr. Parekh repeated an interview for the jury, who leaned forward to hear the scratchy audio on a flat-screen TV.
Mr. Elsheikh was asked whether he was against slavery, in light of Mrs. Mueller’s experience.
“No, I don’t condemn slavery,” he said.
Prosecutors are looking for evidence to make up for the lack of a witness who can clearly identify him as a member of the cell, a lawyer, Nina J. Ginsberg, said in her closing statement.
She tried to convince the jury that Mr. Elsheikh in 2018 had been motivated less by guilt than fear that he would be returned to the Kurds for a speedy trial and summary execution in Iraq, and that he was making a desperate attempt to get US prosecutors to prosecute him.
“He was determined at the time to repeat these confessions in hopes of being sent to the US for a fair trial,” Ms Ginsberg said.
The appearance of Mr. Elsheikh in an American courtroom, once seen as a bull’s eye, is the result of intense political and legal wrangling. In August 2020, the then Attorney General, William P. Barr, agreed to waive the death penalty against Mr Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey, a member of the cell, in exchange for cooperation from UK prosecutors – seen as a key element in obtaining a conviction.