Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to vigorously uphold the decision to withdraw ISIS bride Shamima Begum’s citizenship despite facing a new legal challenge. Begum’s legal team asserts that she was manipulated and exploited for sexual purposes at the age of 15. The European Court of Human Rights has sought clarification from the UK regarding this contentious action.
Shamima Begum, a native of London, is contesting the 2019 ruling that revoked her UK citizenship, which was made when she was a teenager living in ISIS-controlled territory. Despite her legal battle, a government insider confirmed that Mahmood remains resolute in her stance.
Former Conservative Home Secretary Sir Sajid Javid stripped Begum of her citizenship after deeming her a national security threat due to her marriage to an ISIS combatant. Begum’s legal team is challenging the decision based on the prohibition of slavery and forced labor under the European Convention on Human Rights, following a rejected appeal by the UK Supreme Court.
Inquiries from judges in Strasbourg have prompted the Home Office to assess whether Begum was trafficked. Lawyer Gareth Peirce highlighted the circumstances that led to Begum’s departure to ISIS territory and criticized the government’s failure to protect a vulnerable minor.
Despite the legal scrutiny, a government source emphasized that the Home Secretary is ready to defend the decision to revoke Begum’s citizenship, citing national security as a top priority. The Conservative Party has echoed this sentiment, stating that Begum should not be readmitted to the UK.
Shamima Begum, now 26, traveled to Syria in 2015 with her schoolmates Amira Abase and Kadiza Sultana, both of whom are reported deceased. Shortly after her arrival, she married an ISIS member and subsequently lost all three children she bore in Syria.