The British Supreme Court ruled Friday that a British-born woman who went to Syria as a schoolgirl to join ISIS poses a security risk and should not be allowed to return to Britain to fight for her citizenship.
Shamima Begum, now 21, left London in 2015 at the age of 15 and traveled to Syria with two school friends, Reuters reported.
She later lived in Raqqa, the self-proclaimed capital of the Caliphate, and married an ISIS fighter. She had three children since she left Britain, but all babies have since died, the outlet noted.
In 2019, Begum was stripped of her UK citizenship due to national security concerns. Last year, however, a court ruled that she could only get a fair appeal if she was allowed back to Britain.
Friday’s decision means she must continue her appeal against the move of citizenship from abroad.
“The right to a fair trial does not take precedence over all other considerations, such as the safety of the public,” said Robert Reed, the president of the Supreme Court. “If a vital public interest makes it impossible to hear a case fairly, then the courts usually cannot hear it.”
Reed said her appeal should be delayed until she is in a safer position to participate in her case without endangering the public, Reuters said.
“That is not a perfect solution, because it is not known how long it may take before that is possible. But there is no perfect solution to a dilemma of its current kind, ”he said.
She has said she wants to ‘clear her name’ and told Sky News she didn’t know what she was getting into when she left.
Begum is currently being held in the Roj camp, which is run by the Syrian Kurdish authorities.
Earlier this month, human rights experts from the United Nations called on 57 states, including the UK, to repatriate their civilians held in the Roj and Al Hol camps.
Officials said conditions in the camps, which can accommodate more than 65,000 people, are linked to “deteriorating security” and dire conditions.
“Thousands of people detained in the camps are subjected to violence, exploitation, abuse and deprivation in conditions and treatment that could very well amount to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment under international law, without sacrificing them. have an effective means. An unknown number have already died because of their detention conditions, ”the UN Human Rights Commission said in a statement.
Maya Foa, director of the human rights organization Reprieve, told the BBC that preventing Begum from returning to the UK “remains a cynical ploy to turn her into someone else”.
“Leaving them in a legal black hole – in Guantánamo-like conditions – is inconsistent with UK values and interests of justice and security, ”said Foa.