Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to vigorously defend the decision to cancel the citizenship of ISIS bride Shamima Begum amid a new legal challenge.
Legal representatives for Ms. Begum claim that she was manipulated and exploited for sexual purposes at the young age of 15. The European Court of Human Rights has requested clarification from the UK regarding this contentious action.
Originally from London, Ms. Begum, who ventured to ISIS territory as a schoolgirl, is contesting the 2019 ruling that revoked her British citizenship. Despite this, a government insider indicated that Ms. Mahmood will not change her stance.
Former Conservative Home Secretary Sir Sajid Javid made the decision following concerns that she posed a threat to national security. Currently residing in a Syrian camp, Ms. Begum, who wed an ISIS militant, is now facing a legal challenge invoking Article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which prohibits slavery and forced labor.
The judges in Strasbourg have raised questions about whether the government overlooked the possibility that Ms. Begum was a victim of trafficking. Lawyer Gareth Peirce highlighted the failures in safeguarding a vulnerable child who was at high risk of exploitation.
Despite the legal pushback, the Home Secretary remains resolute in upholding the decision to strip Ms. Begum of her citizenship, emphasizing national security as the top priority. The Conservative party has expressed firm opposition to allowing Ms. Begum back into the UK.
Ms. Begum, now aged 26, traveled to Syria in 2015 with two school friends, both of whom reportedly passed away. She married an ISIS fighter shortly after her arrival and subsequently lost all three of her children.
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