Escaped Isis militant reveals reality of the jihadist group's brutality: 'They abused and mutilated dead bodies'

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A former Isis militant has described the reality of life in the group as "worse than the tyranny of the [Syrian] government forces".

The Russian man, calling himself Zurab for fears of revenge from Isis, told RT about his first-hand experience of the group's atrocities.

“They were extremely brutal, killing women and the elderly who did not obey them" he said. "They abused and mutilated their dead bodies. They cut up the corpses, tied them to the back of the cars and dragged them along."

He said Christians were killed immediately without a word spoken: “They would find them and publically execute them. I witnessed many executions.

Zurab told RT he was attracted to the jihadist group by its slick propaganda videos.

“We watched promo videos of women, children and elderly people crying out, 'where are you, Muslims? Why are you hiding? When Muslim blood is being spilled, you decide you want to be a pacifist?'

"I had feelings of guilt, compassion and responsibility. We went there not because we knew the facts but because of our emotions,” he said.

He reportedly bought a ticket to Istanbul, where he met with others hoping to reach Isis. After taking a bus to the Syrian border, they crossed into the country by night.

Once in Syria, the group was taken to a "Sharia house" and then to a training camp in the village of Atme. Two months later, Zurab was sent to the front line.

His journey is similar to that of Harry Sarfo, who told The Independent how he was lured to Syria by videos he believed showed “unity under one flag... white, blacks, Asians and Arabs from all walks of life protecting the Sunni Muslims”.

The 27-year-old, currently in prison awaiting trial on terror charges, appeared in one of the group's notorious execution films.

Zurab decided to escape from Isis having witnessed the group's atrocities and brutality. To do so, he became the bodyguard of one of the group's most notorious leaders, Abu Omar al-Shishani.

Shishani, known as "Omar the Chechen", was reportedly killed in a US air strike in March, but Isis denied reports of his death two months later.

After winning al-Shishani's trust over a series of months, Zurab told the Isis leader he had to see his mother and promised to return.

When he returned to Ingushetia, a federal subject of Russia, he turned himself in to authorities and was tried and found guilty of being part of an illegal armed group.

Zurab claimed he had never killed civilians and was given a five-year suspended sentence.

He says he now lives in fear of revenge from Isis.