The UK Supreme Court ruled on Friday that a British woman who went to Syria as a school to join ISIS poses a security risk and will 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 friends from school, Reuters reported.
He later lived in Raqqa, the self-proclaimed capital of the caliphate, and married an ISIS fighter. She has had three children since leaving the UK, but all the children have died since then, the press reported.
In 2019, Begum was stripped of British citizenship for reasons of national security. However, a court ruled last year that he could have a fair appeal only if he was allowed to return to the UK.
Friday’s decision means he will have to continue his appeal against moving abroad.
“The right to a fair hearing does not outweigh any other considerations, such as public safety,” said Robert Reed, the president of the Supreme Court. “If a vital public interest makes it impossible to hear a case, then the courts cannot usually hear it.”
Reed said his appeal should be issued until he is in a safer position to participate in his case without endangering the public, according to Reuters.
“This is not a perfect solution, because it is not known how long it can take until this is possible. But there is no perfect solution to such a dilemma, “he said.
She said she wanted to “delete 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, run by Syrian Kurdish authorities.
Earlier this month, United Nations human rights experts called for 57 states, including the United Kingdom, to repatriate their citizens to Roj and Al Hol camps.
Officials said conditions in the camps, which hold more than 65,000 people, were facing “deteriorating security” and horrific conditions.
“Thousands of people detained in camps are exposed to violence, exploitation, abuse and deprivation under conditions and treatments that may amount to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in accordance with international law, without any effective remedy. An unknown number have already died due to the conditions of detention, “the UN human rights commission said in a statement.
Maya Foa, director of the human rights group Reprieve, told the BBC that preventing Begum from returning to Britain remained “a cynical ploy to make it someone else’s responsibility”.
“Leaving them in a legal black hole – under similar conditions Guantanamo – is outside British values and the interests of justice and security, “said Foa.