Court Says No to 'ISIS Bride'; Shamima Begum Loses British Citizenship

A British woman who traveled to Syria to join the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) and became known as the 'ISIS bride' has lost her British citizenship after her latest appeal was rejected. The British government stripped her of citizenship in 2019, shortly after Shamima Begum was found in a camp in Syria, citing national security risks. Now 25 years old, Begum called the decision 'unlawful,' arguing that British officials did not properly consider whether she was a victim of trafficking, but this argument was dismissed in February 2023 by a lower court. The London Court of Appeal also rejected her appeal in October. The judge stated that Ms. Begum is responsible for her own misfortune and added that the court's only duty was to assess the legality of the citizenship deprivation ruling, which it found was not unlawful. The British government welcomed the ruling. A spokesperson for the Home Office said, 'Our priority is to keep the UK safe and secure, and we will defend any decision made in this regard.' Shamima Begum's lawyers have urged the UK to repatriate her and others remaining in Syria, calling the refusal 'shameful.' Gareth Peirce, Begum's lawyer, told reporters that any country in a similar situation has realized that there is no option but to bring back its citizens. The Human Rights and International Security Organization reported that the UK has repatriated 17 individuals since December 2019. The ruling on Friday, February 23, marks the latest development in a long legal battle, but another of Begum's lawyers stated that she needs time to properly read the ruling before deciding on an appeal. In 2020, the Court of Appeal ruled that Begum should be allowed to return to the UK and challenge her citizenship deprivation in a fair process, but this decision was overturned the following year by the Supreme Court. Begum's case has sparked heated debates among those arguing that she willingly joined a terrorist group and others who say she was a child at the time of her departure and should face justice in the UK for any crimes committed. Shamima Begum left London in 2015 when she was 15 years old and traveled to Syria with two school friends, where she married an ISIS member and gave birth to three children, all of whom died in infancy. Since 2019, Begum has remained in the al-Roj camp in Syria with thousands of other foreign women and children.