By Simon Tomlinson for MailOnline
Published: 03:06 EST, 10 March 2015 | Updated: 06:10 EST, 10 March 2015
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A former member of the Islamic State today claimed he witnessed the British graduate dubbed Jihadi John behead a Japanese hostage.
The man, named only as Saleh, said the masked militant who appears in several beheading videos was a senior figure in the extremist organisation responsible for murdering foreign captives.
Jihadi John, who was recently unmasked as 26-year-old Londoner Mohammed Emwazi, was last seen in a video posted online which appeared to show Japanese hostage Kenji Goto lying dead.
Saleh, who worked as a translator, also revealed that ISIS routinely subjected hostages to mock executions so that when their beheading did finally come they were not expecting to die.
ISIS executioner Mohammed Emwazi who is known as Jihadi John (seen, left, with Japanese hostage Kenji Goto) was a senior figure tasked with murdering foreign captives, claims a defector known as Saleh (right)
Face of a killer: Saleh, who worked as a translator, revealed that Emwazi (above) routinely subjected hostages to mock executions so that when their beheading did finally come they were not expecting to die
Speaking to told Sky News in broken English from Turkey after fleeing ISIS, Saleh said: 'When he killed Kenji Goto, I live showed this (saw this) but not near, from a little (distance).
'The big boss was there with them. Turkish man say "put this camera there, change place there" but John (was) the big boss.
'All time, all time say to all "fastly, fastly, fastly, we should finish". So respect him. Only he talks orders - others do.'
Saleh said the prisoners would be given Arabic names to make it appear like they were with friends and continually reassured that they would not be killed.
He said: 'He would say to me "say to them, no problem, only video, we don't kill you, we want from your government [to] stop attacking Syria.
"We don't have any problem with you; you are only our visitors".'
Saleh said he explained to the hostages that they were safe, but always knew they would be killed.
His comments explain why so many of the prisoners appear so calm in the executions videos right up to the point where the knife is placed against their throat.
A still photo of Kenji Goto holding a picture of Jordanian pilot Mu'ath al-Kaseasbeh. ISIS defector Saleh revealed how hostages were given Arabic names to give them the impression they were among friends
'This is my last message': Audio of hostage Kenji Goto Jogo
After Mr Goto was killed, Saleh said three of four men put the body in the boot of a car and drive off, with Emwazi leaving in a different direction.
Appearing with his face covered, the man added Jihadi John won respect for murdering foreign prisoners.
He said: 'Maybe because he use the knife. I cannot understand why he is so strong.
'One man can kill and all people will respect. A Syrian man anyone [in ISIS] can kill. But strangers [foreigners], only John.'
And hostages were routinely subjected to mock executions, with their captors telling them they would not be killed as it was a show for the camera, according to Saleh.
Murderer: Jihadi John seen (in black mask) leading the execution of a dozen prisoners. Emwazi was a senior figure in the extremist organisation responsible for murdering foreign captives, according to defector Saleh
Kuwait-born Emwazi had been pinpointed as a potential terrorist by the British authorities, but was nonetheless able to travel to Syria in 2013 and join a group responsible for the murder of several Western hostages.
In e-mail exchanges with a journalist, the University of Westminster computer programming graduate said he considered suicide after coming face to face with what he suspected to be a British spy as he attempted to sell a laptop computer in 2010.
Jihadi John rose to notoriety after he first appeared in a video posted online last August, in which he appeared to kill American journalist James Foley.
Dressed in black with a balaclava covering all but his eyes and the ridge of his nose, and a holster under his left arm, he reappeared in videos of the beheadings of US journalist Steven Sotloff, British aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning, and American aid worker Peter Kassig.
He later featured in a video with Japanese hostages Haruna Yukawa and Kenji Goto, shortly before they were killed.