Aiexpress – Shamima Begum, a British woman who ventured to Syria as a teenager nine years ago to join the Islamic State, has been denied her appeal to regain her citizenship. The decision was reached unanimously by an appeals court.
The court’s three judges unanimously ruled against granting the appeal, dismissing all five grounds for appeal presented by attorneys for Begum, who is now 24 years old.
Judge Sue Carr acknowledged that there are differing opinions on the severity of the decision in Miss Begum’s case. She also acknowledged that Miss Begum may have contributed to her own unfortunate circumstances. However, Judge Carr emphasized that it is not within the court’s jurisdiction to take a stance on either perspective.
The judges in London were tasked with determining the legality of citizenship revocation, rather than rehashing the case.
According to Carr, the decision made by then-Home Secretary Sajid Javid to revoke her citizenship after she left for Syria at the age of 15 was deemed lawful. Her lawyer’s argument that the decision left her stateless was rejected, as she held Bangladeshi citizenship when the ruling was made in 2019.
The judges also determined that Javid had the authority to dismiss the concerns that she was a victim of child trafficking. They argued that the decision to revoke her citizenship did not violate equality laws, as British Muslims are disproportionately at risk of losing their citizenship. They cited exceptions made for national security concerns.
According to Attorney James Eadie, who represents the Home Office, Begum’s national security risk cannot be dismissed simply because she was a teenager when she left Britain for Syria.
He stated that the assessment that someone poses a national security threat is not contradictory to the fact that they have been radicalized and potentially manipulated.
Daniel Furner, Begum’s attorney, has expressed his determination to continue advocating for her repatriation to Britain. He alluded to the possibility of appealing the decision to the country’s High Court.
“I won’t give up the fight until she receives the justice she deserves and until she is safely reunited with her family,” Furner declared with determination.
In 2020, Begum was given permission to return to Britain to fight for her citizenship. She had been held in a detention camp by the Syrian Democratic forces after marrying a militant fighter and having three children, all of whom have tragically passed away.
