Shamima Begum, the jihadi bride, was trafficked by ISIS for sexual exploitation, her attorneys have advised a listening to to enchantment in opposition to her deprivation of citizenship.
She launched her major enchantment in opposition to the choice, together with her attorneys telling a tribunal: “Shamima Begum is a young Muslim woman, someone about who everyone can give an opinion.”
Samantha Knights KC, for Ms Begum, advised the primary of a five-day listening to on the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) that they confronted an “overwhelming impediment” to make her case.
Her attorneys have compiled a collection of specialists to present proof, together with medical doctors and psychologists, who’re specialists in assessing how the adolescent thoughts impacts judgment.
Ms Begum was a “British child aged 15 who was persuaded by a determined and effective ISIS propaganda machine to follow a pre-existing route and provide a marriage for an ISIS fighter,” Ms Knights advised the tribunal.
Her switch into Syria, throughout the Turkish border, was assisted by a Canadian double agent, her lawyer added.
Ms Begum, now 23, left Britain with two mates from the Bethnal Green Academy in East London, who’re thought to have been killed within the battle.
She was captured following the collapse of ISIS in January 2018 and brought to the al-Hawl detention camp, earlier than being transferred to the al-Roj camp, the place she has disavowed the terrorist group and mentioned she desires to return house.
However, she was stripped of her British citizenship on the grounds of nationwide safety in February 2019 amid a political row over whether or not she was a twin British and Bangladeshi citizen.
Begum was ‘cynically recruited and groomed’
Her attorneys additionally mentioned Ms Begum was “cynically recruited and groomed” by ISIS in order that she may very well be married off to an older man inside days of arrival of their territory.
“The evidence is overwhelming that she was recruited, transported, transferred, harboured and received in Syria by ISIS for the purpose of sexual exploitation and marriage to an adult male – and she was, indeed, married to an adult, significantly older than herself, within days of her arrival in Syria, falling pregnant soon after,” they mentioned.
Ms Begum, who was 15 years previous when she arrived in Syria, and “therefore not able to consent to marriage or sexual activity”, was “married off” on or about February 20 2015 – 10 days after her arrival in Syria to Yago Reidijk, a Dutch nationwide who was “considerably older,” they added.
Ms Knights advised the tribunal it’s right here that she is being “held in conditions of indefinite detention by a non-state actor, prevented from all access to her by lawyers and independent experts and, to her detriment, unrestricted access has been given to her by the press.”
Home Office witness provides proof
She known as the case “extraordinary” and mentioned Sajid Javid, the house secretary who disadvantaged her of her citizenship, had taken “over hasty steps” lower than per week after Ms Begum gave her first interview from detention in Syria to the Times.
Mr Javid then fed commentary, together with an article written by himself, into the method, Ms Knights mentioned.
“That is in direct contrast to the precautionary approach set out by our experts on how to assess the decisions, thoughts, and behaviour of an adolescent involved during her teenage years in a child marriage,” she added.
The house secretary’s obligation to guard the general public was not “monolithic” and required “wider context” in addition to the consideration concerning the “safeguarding of victims” of trafficking, Ms Knights mentioned.
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Philip Larkin, a witness for the Home Office, advised the listening to that there had been “no formal conclusion” on whether or not Ms Begum was the sufferer of human trafficking.
He accepted that Ms Begum will need to have had helped to cross the border, telling the tribunal: “Any individual who travelled illegally across the Turkish Syrian border would have needed assistance to make that trip.”
But he declined to say whether or not she had been “recruited” was the sufferer of “sexual exploitation.”
In July final 12 months, the Supreme Court dominated in opposition to the Court of Appeal which had mentioned that she must be allowed to return as the chance of her launching an assault may very well be “addressed and managed”.
The listening to continues.
Source: information.sky.com”