FILE - Renu Begum, eldest sister of Shamima Begum, holds a picture of her while being interviewed by the media in central London, Feb. 22, 2015.
A British woman who fled the country to join the Islamic State terror group and had her citizenship revoked as a result, now is being allowed reenter Britain to challenge the decision, after a ruling Thursday by Britain’s Court of Appeals.
Shamima Begum’s citizenship initially was rescinded due to security reasons when she was found in a refugee camp in 2019. While in Syria, Begum married a member of the Islamic State terrorist group and gave birth to three children, all of whom have died.
The judges have ruled that Begum had been refused a fair hearing because she could not adequately defend her case from the Syrian refugee camp.
The ruling requires the government to allow the now-20-year-old Begum, who is still in Syria, to show up for court in London.
Lord Justice Flaux said of the situation, “Fairness and justice must, on the facts of the case, outweigh the national security concerns, so that the leave to enter appeals should be allowed” and that security concerns “could be addressed and managed if she returns to the United Kingdom.”
The official who made the initial decision to revoke Begum’s citizenship, former Home Secretary Sajid Javid, tweeted he was “deeply concerned about the judgment,” voicing his opinion that once she returns to Britain, “it will prove impossible to subsequently remove her.”
Begum’s lawyer, Daniel Furner, said that “Ms. Begum has never had a fair opportunity to give her side of the story” and she “welcomes” the possibility of justice.
Furner and the rest of Begum’s legal assistance challenged the initial refusal to allow her to return to Britain on the grounds it left her stateless, exposed to the risk of death or hurt, and that she was unable to adequately make her case in Syria.