'I saw Jihadi John kill Goto', says IS defector employed to keep hostages calm

A former Islamic State member has told Sky News he saw ‘Jihadi John’ carry out executions, and confirmed he is Mohammed Emwazi, the 26-year-old Londoner who has become the face of the world’s most notorious terrorist organisation. Speaking from Turkey, where he fled to escape IS, ‘Saleh’ explained in broken English how he was employed by the group to convince foreign hostages they were safe.

When he killed Kenji Goto I [saw this] but not near, from a little [distance]. After he was killed him, three or four person come and take over the body and put in a car. After that, John went on a different road.

A man identified only as ‘Saleh’, interviewed by Sky News in Turkey

Saleh claims foreign hostages captured and murdered by the group were subjected to numerous mock executions until the procedure became normal. It could explain why many hostages appeared calm in execution videos published online by the group. He said the hostages were told: “We don’t have any problem with you; you are only our visitors”.

Always I say to them ‘don’t worry, doesn’t matter, nothing dangerous for you. But at the end I was sure [they would die].

Saleh

World Islamic State