Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to vigorously defend the decision to cancel ISIS bride Shamima Begum’s citizenship amidst a new legal challenge. Begum’s legal team asserts that she was manipulated and exploited for sexual reasons at the age of 15. The European Court of Human Rights has pressed the UK for explanations regarding this contentious action.
Shamima Begum, a native of London who ventured to ISIS-held territory as a schoolgirl, is contesting the UK government’s citizenship revocation in February 2019. Despite this, a government insider revealed that Mahmood remains steadfast in her stance.
Former Conservative Home Secretary Sir Sajid Javid made the initial move following concerns about Begum posing a threat to national security due to her marriage to an ISIS combatant. Begum, currently residing in a Syrian camp, is challenging the decision under Article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which addresses slavery and forced labor. This challenge arose subsequent to the UK Supreme Court declining her appeal opportunity.
Strasbourg judges have inquired whether the UK authorities should have considered whether Begum was a victim of trafficking. Lawyer Gareth Peirce emphasized the circumstances of Begum’s departure to ISIS-controlled territory for forced exploitation at a young age. The government, through a spokesperson, expressed readiness to confront the challenge to revoke Begum’s citizenship, citing a consistent upholding of the decision in domestic courts and a priority on national security.
The Conservative party has stated its opposition to Begum’s return to the UK under any circumstances. Shamima Begum, now 26, traveled to Syria in 2015 with her schoolmates Amira Abase and Kadiza Sultana, both of whom are reported deceased. Soon after her arrival, Begum married an ISIS fighter at 23 years old and subsequently lost all three children she bore.