Swedish court hears brother’s testimony in trial over Jordanian pilot’s execution

In a landmark trial described as the first of its kind in a case that sparked global outrage, a Swedish court has heard a moving testimony from the brother of Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh, who was brutally burned alive by Daesh in Syria in 2015.

The trial concerns Osama Krayem, a Swedish citizen of Iraqi origin, charged with involvement in the crime, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Joudat al-Kasasbeh, a lawyer and the brother of the late pilot, told the Stockholm court about the ongoing psychological and physical suffering his family has endured for over a decade. He revealed that their mother was hospitalized immediately upon learning of Muath’s execution, his older sister developed diabetes, and his father suffers from chronic illnesses and a deeply mournful mental state, frequently breaking down in tears.

Joudat recounted receiving news of his brother’s capture in late 2014 and rushing to the Jordanian Air Force headquarters. There, the commander informed him that the pilot was believed to be held captive inside Syria. “I was in a very bad state mentally,” he said.

During Wednesday’s session, the accused, Osama Krayem, remained silent and refused to answer questions from the prosecution, avoiding eye contact with prosecutor Henrik Olin. However, in a previous interrogation in February, Krayem claimed he did not know what would happen at the execution site and insisted he stayed no longer than 20 minutes before noticing cameras. “I was terrified. That was the first time I saw someone being burned,” he said.

Muath al-Kasasbeh’s plane was shot down on December 24, 2014, near Raqqa, then the Daesh stronghold in Syria. Approximately six weeks later, Daesh released a horrifying video showing the pilot inside a metal cage, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, before being set on fire.

The trial, which began on June 4, marks the first judicial action against a suspect linked to this crime, which had a profound impact in Jordan, especially since al-Kasasbeh was part of an international coalition led by the United States fighting the terrorist group.

The Swedish investigation highlighted that the al-Kasasbeh family is a key pillar of the Jordanian military, intensifying the tragedy whose wounds remain raw.