Swedish man found guilty in killing of Jordanian fighter pilot in Syria

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STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -A Swedish man was found guilty of serious war crimes and terrorism on Thursday over his role in the murder of a Jordanian air force pilot who was burned to death in Syria a decade ago, the Stockholm district court said in a verdict.

The Swede, identified in court documents as Osama Krayem, was sentenced to life in prison for participating in the execution of Muath al-Kasasbeh, who was burned alive in a cage after being captured in Syria in December 2014.

Krayem, 32, has previously been convicted of involvement in attacks in Paris in 2015 and in Brussels in 2016, and was transferred to Sweden from France to stand trial in Stockholm.

Krayem has denied acting with intent. His Swedish lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Islamic State militant group, which once imposed a reign of terror over millions of people in Syria and Iraq, captured the Jordanian pilot and later released a video showing his execution.

While the evidence showed that the fire that killed al-Kasasbeh was lit by another man, Krayem was also involved in the killing, the court said.

“The District Court has found that the defendant, through his actions, contributed so actively to the death of the pilot that he should be considered a perpetrator,” presiding Judge Anna Liljenberg Gullesjo said in a court statement.

Islamic State controlled swathes of Iraq and Syria between 2014 and 2017, before being defeated in its last bastions in Syria in 2019.

Under Swedish law, courts can try individuals for violations of international law committed abroad.

(Reporting by Isabelle Yr Carlsson, editing by Terje Solsvik and Ros Russell)