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Swedish Court Sentences ISIS Member to Life Over 2015 Burning of Jordanian Pilot
Swedish national Osama Krayem has been sentenced to life in prison for his role in the horrific 2015 killing of Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kassasbeh by ISIS in Syria. A historic ruling under Sweden’s war crimes law.
ND
by News Desk
2025-07-31
Swedish Court Sentences ISIS Member to Life Over 2015 Burning of Jordanian Pilot

A Swedish court has sentenced Osama Krayem to life imprisonment for his involvement in one of ISIS's most brutal crimes — the burning alive of Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kassasbeh in Syria in 2015.

Stockholm District Court Judge Anna Liljenberg Gullesjo stated that Krayem, although not the individual who lit the fire, was present at the execution site — uniformed, armed, and visible in the propaganda footage released by ISIS. The court found that Krayem’s active participation and presence contributed “significantly” to the killing, making him legally culpable under Swedish law.

The victim, 26-year-old Royal Jordanian Air Force pilot Muath al-Kassasbeh, was captured by ISIS after his jet crashed during coalition operations in Syria. He was later filmed being burned alive in a metal cage, a video that sparked global outrage when released in early February 2015.

This is the first time any court has tried an individual over al-Kassasbeh’s killing.

Krayem, a 32-year-old Swedish national of Syrian origin, is already serving lengthy sentences in France for his roles in the 2015 Paris and 2016 Brussels terrorist attacks. He was extradited to Sweden specifically to face trial for war crimes and terrorist offenses.

Despite denying intent to kill, the court found overwhelming evidence of his complicity. Prosecutors argued that his role in the ISIS propaganda video and his presence during the execution were deliberate and designed to spread terror.

Sweden’s legal system allows courts to prosecute international war crimes committed abroad, enabling this precedent-setting trial.

The murder of al-Kassasbeh was intended as retaliation for Jordan’s role in the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS. In response, Jordan launched a series of airstrikes against ISIS targets shortly after the video's release.

 
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