Court hearing reignites debate around UK-born teen who joined ISIS
At the height of the global ISIS threat, UK-born Shamima Begum left the UK at 15 to join the terrorist group in Syria in 2015. She was married to an ISIS soldier and gave birth to three children who died.
It was widely reported that she was considered an “enforcer” of the group’s “morality police”, and was considered a jihadi terrorist threat and forbidden to return to the UK. In 2019, Sajid Javid as Home Secretary revoked her British citizenship. In July 2020, the Court of Appeal ruled that she should be allowed to return, which was unanimously overturned by the Supreme Court in February 2021.
Now 23, she has launched a citizenship appeal, with her lawyers telling a tribunal at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission, “[she] is a young Muslim woman, someone about who everyone can give an opinion.”
Over the next five days, her lawyers are set to argue the case that as a teenager at the time, her judgement was affected by youth; MI5 counter-stated that as a smart student, it is “inconceivable” that she did not know what she doing. Her lawyers have also newly argued that she was trafficked by ISIS for sexual exploitation and should have been treated as a child trafficking victim. However, the opposing argument shows that she willingly left the UK with full awareness and intention to fight for ISIS.
Begum has long been a source of controversy, sharply dividing opinion between those who empathise and those who consider her a threat. While many mainstream publications maintained impartiality, some were quick to make their opinions on her appeal known either directly or in the subtext of the hearing’s side they chose to run.
Begum continues to be held at a camp in northern Syria. There is concern that her return could spark risk to UK security and an influx of attempts to return by other jihadists.
Shamima Begum trafficked by IS to Syria for sexual exploitation, tribunal hears
Shamima Begum knew what she was doing when joining Isis, says MI5
Shamima Begum was sexually exploited by ISIS, appeal hearing told
Shamima Begum may have been a victim of child trafficking, court told
Shamima Begum knew what she was doing when she joined IS, MI5 tells court
Shamima Begum was trafficked to Syria for ‘sexual explotation’ by adult Isis fighters, court hears
Shamima Begum remains a threat to Britain – she has no home here
Shamima Begum ‘knew what she was doing’, MI5 agent tells court as lawyer claims she was ‘child trafficking victim’
Shamima Begum was ‘child trafficking victim’ who was smuggled into Syria to have sex with adult men, her lawyer claims – as MI5 agent says ISIS bride ‘would have known what she was doing’
