Shamima Begum, the British-born woman who joined Islamic State as a teenager, could be released from a detention camp in Syria within days following violent clashes near the facility. The 26-year-old, stripped of her UK citizenship in 2019, is held at the al-Roj camp in north-east Syria, which is run by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The SDF, backed by the US, has been struggling to maintain control in the region after Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa brokered a ceasefire following his forces' capture of most of north-east Syria. Recent violence and the SDF's retreat have raised concerns for detainee safety, potentially leading to releases. On Monday, clashes erupted near three other detention facilities, including al-Aqtan prison near Raqqa, Deir al-Zour, and al-Shadadi.
Begum, from Bethnal Green, London, travelled to Syria in 2015 to marry an IS fighter. She was deprived of her British citizenship on national security grounds in February 2019. She has since sought to return to the UK, with the European Court of Human Rights challenging the decision. In December, the court demanded answers from the Home Office regarding state responsibilities for victims of trafficking before the citizenship revocation.
The European Court of Human Rights posed four questions to the Home Office, including whether the Secretary of State had a positive obligation under Article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights—prohibition of slavery and forced labour—to consider if Begum was a trafficking victim before depriving her of citizenship. Begum is challenging the decision under this article.
