French Journalist Testifies About 11-Month Captivity Under ISIS

Edouard Elias recounts harrowing experiences of torture, deprivation, and survival in the trial of alleged ISIS geolier Mehdi Nemmouche in Paris.

Edouard Elias, a war photographer abducted at age 22, testified about his 11-month captivity by ISIS in Syria during the trial of Mehdi Nemmouche and four other accused geoliers in Paris.
Elias described systematic torture, simulated executions, and inhumane conditions in ISIS detention facilities, including an Aleppo hospital turned prison.
The journalist formally identified Mehdi Nemmouche’s voice as that of one of his torturers, a claim Nemmouche denies, asserting he was not a geolier.
Elias highlighted the psychological toll of captivity, recounting moments of despair, but also the resilience and camaraderie he shared with fellow captive Didier François.
The trial sheds light on the brutal methods of ISIS and the role of foreign jihadists, with Nemmouche already serving a life sentence for the 2014 Brussels Jewish Museum attack.