Swedish Jihadist appeals life sentence for 2015 Jordanian pilot killing
Stockholm, August 21, 2025 – Swedish jihadist Osama Krayem has filed an appeal against his life sentence handed down in July for his involvement in the 2015 execution of Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh, who was burned alive in a cage by ISIS in Syria.
The Stockholm court was the first, and so far the only, to try a suspect for this high-profile killing that shocked the international community. Krayem’s lawyer, Petra Eklund, has requested a full acquittal, arguing that the court “misjudged Krayem’s intentions.” If acquittal is denied, the defense seeks a reduced sentence.
The pilot’s aircraft was shot down near Raqqa on December 24, 2014. Krayem, along with 12 other militants, was present when al-Kasasbeh was burned alive, as shown in a video released in February 2015. During the trial, a Stockholm magistrate concluded that Krayem “participated in guarding and transferring the victim to the cage during the execution.”
Krayem, 32, originally from Malmö, Sweden, admitted being at the scene but claimed he did not know the planned execution until noticing the cameras, according to his lawyer. He remained silent throughout the proceedings.
The jihadist has previously been sentenced to 30 years in France for complicity in the 2015 Paris attacks and to life imprisonment in Belgium for the 2016 Brussels attacks. France allowed his temporary transfer to Sweden in March 2025 for trial purposes.
-
22:00
-
21:41
-
21:21
-
21:05
-
20:45
-
20:30
-
20:15
-
19:47
-
19:32
-
19:15
-
19:00
-
18:42
-
18:25
-
18:15
-
18:10
-
17:47
-
17:32
-
17:15
-
16:50
-
16:32
-
16:16
-
15:56
-
15:40
-
15:20
-
15:05
-
14:45
-
14:30
-
14:15
-
14:00
-
13:42
-
13:25
-
13:10
-
12:47
-
12:31
-
12:15
-
12:00
-
11:42
-
11:25
-
11:11
-
10:47
-
10:32
-
10:15
-
10:09
-
10:00
-
09:45
-
09:30
-
09:15
-
09:00
-
08:45
-
08:30
-
08:15
