Shamima Begum ran away from home with two other classmates in 2015 when she was only 15 years old. The three females moved to Syria and became ISIS wives. Begum lost her British citizenship but has been struggling to return home. She recently lost a significant battle.
Begum’s request to reclaim her citizenship was denied by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission. According to CBS News, the tribunal found “credible suspicion” that the former ISIS bride was taken to Syria for “sexual exploitation.” Court also concluded that government officials erred by allowing her to leave the country. Unfortunately, that was not enough to convince the 23-year-old that the British government is violating her human rights by stripping her of her citizenship.
Finally, Judge Robert Jay concluded that the issue at hand was beyond the tribunal’s jurisdiction and should be handled by the secretary of state.
Begum’s counsel have argued that because she was so young when she married the ISIS member, she should be classified as a victim of human trafficking. He impregnated her three times after the marriage, and all of the children perished.
Shamima Begum was a child bride who was married at 15 years old to a man age 23 who she met for 10 minutes before they wed. As a child, she was impregnated — all three babies died. Sex with a child is pedophilia. She is a victim of violence against women & girls.
— Dr Charlotte Proudman (@DrProudman) February 22, 2023
According to the Daily Mail, Begum’s attorney, Gareth Peirce, called the commission’s decision “extraordinary.” She stated that it was evident that officials were upset by the issue, but that they needed to determine their authority to respond. Another of her lawyers stated that the fight was ” far from being over ” and that they would appeal the judgment.
Citizens of the United Kingdom are no strangers to ISIS’s atrocities. IS claimed responsibility for a deadly attack outside an Ariana Grande performance in Manchester two years after Begum joined the terrorist organization. The incident claimed the lives of 22 individuals, including an 8-year-old daughter. More than 1,000 people were hurt.
