Motka instructed the jury he was once captured in 2013 at the side of British support employee David Haines on a travel to Syria to higher perceive the desires of refugees within the space.
“I believe we are getting abducted,” Motka testified that he instructed his boss at the telephone as masked males armed with weapons surrounded their automotive, in the end pulling them out and pushing them within the trunk in their vehicles.
Motka was once moved round to a number of other places throughout the 14 months he was once held captive, one in every of which was once a small room with a low roof the hostages nicknamed “the Field.” It was once there that they persevered what Motka referred to as “the regime of punishment.”
Beatings, starvation and execution
The Beatles, at the side of any person the hostages referred to as “the Punisher,” would beat and torture Haines, Motka, journalist Foley — probably the most American citizens named within the fees in opposition to Elsheikh — and his colleague, British journalist John Cantlie.
Motka stated that the crowd differentiated the Beatles — who they referred to as John, George and Ringo — by means of their most popular taste of beatings.
“George was once extra into boxing. John, he kicked so much,” Motka stated, including that Ringo, who prosecutors say is Elsheikh, “appreciated wrestling (and) headlocks.” A type of headlocks led to Foley to go out, Motka testified Thursday.
In step with Motka, the hostages have been kicked, punched and overwhelmed with a cable frequently by means of the Beatles and made to “hang pressure positions for hours.” They have been additionally pressured, Motka testified, to struggle one every other for his or her leisure.
“We slightly had the muscle power to boost our fingers,” Motka stated.
In step with Motka, the Beatles waterboarded him and a number of other different hostages. “That was once by means of some distance the worst factor that had came about,” he stated, after describing shedding oxygen, breathing in water and panicking. “There wasn’t a minute’s peace.”
The hostages misplaced 50 to 70 kilos by the point of the waterboarding, later changing into absolutely emaciated, Motka stated. Once they did get meals, they could not stay it down. All through one lengthy shipping in an ISIS caravan, the hostages survived off dates for a number of days at the back of a truck, he testified.
The court was once additionally proven a video of a Syrian hostage being shot within the head, kneeling on the fringe of a pre-dug grave.
Motka recognized himself a few of the crew of hostages, who have been proven kneeling at the different facet of the grave and every preserving handwritten indicators tough ransom for his or her unlock.
One of the crucial Beatles, Motka testified, requested him what he idea in regards to the execution.
“It is horrific,” Motka stated.
The Beatle, Motka testified, responded: “That is a just right solution.”
