‘We want more transparency’: Shamima Begum’s revived citizenship bid was ‘inevitable’, says ISIS bride’s former lawyer
It was “inevitable” that the Home Office’s decision to revoke ISIS bride Shamima Begum’s British citizenship would be challenged as greater transparency is needed around the case, her former lawyer has told LBC.
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The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has formally ordered the Home Office to justify the move in accordance with international law following an application from Begum's current legal team
Speaking to LBC’s James Hanson, the Begum family's former lawyer Tasnime Akunjee said this was always bound to happen.
"I thought it was inevitable in due course. And the reason being is that all of the arguments that have been aerated now and the concerns they have were actually aerated way back in 2019 and they were done so in writing." he said.
ECtHR judges are now assessing whether the UK Government failed to look into whether it violated human rights and anti-trafficking laws, and whether the Home Office failed to those into account by banning the former child bride from returning to Britain.
Lawyers for Begum, who left east London to join Islamic State when she was 15, have hailed the step as an “unprecedented opportunity”.
Read more: ISIS bride Shamima Begum 'should be allowed back into Britain', counter-terrorism review finds
Their claim, filed in an application to the Strasbourg court, argues UK authorities failed to ask four key questions before her citizenship was revoked by former Conservative Home Secretary Sajid Javid in 2019.
These include whether she had been trafficked to Syria, whether British authorities failed to protect her, and whether her lack of citizenship would undermine any future investigation into trafficking.
If any trafficking issues were raised, they say British authorities failed to ask whether her lack of citizenship could be justified on national security grounds.
Mr Akunjee said: “What we say is we want more transparency around this. And that's what the courts are saying in Strasbourg.
"They're not saying that the decision was necessarily wrong. What they're saying is that they want to see the reasoning of that decision and whether the mind of the Home Secretary was turned, as it should have been, to his treaty obligations about how we treat minors and victims of trafficking."
He added: “I say that anyone thinking that a 15 year old girl is a national security threat that cannot be dealt with within our borders by one of the oldest security apparatus on the planet, that was always a difficult proposition by the Home Secretary.
“The reason we're couching things in legalistic terms is by definition we're talking about a legal case in a legal court of law with judges asking questions. So the language and the reasoning will always be legalistic.
“In that scenario, simple question is, can the UK deal with a 15 year old girl and whatever threat she may pose, the answer is simply yes.”
Begum was stripped of her citizenship after she travelled to Syria aged 15 to join IS in 2015, where she married Dutch Islamic convert Yago Riedijk.
The decision was upheld by the UK Supreme Court on the basis that she could also claim citizenship in Bangladesh.
However, Bangladesh rejected her application, and she has been stranded in a Syrian camp ever since.
Senior Tories have stood firm in rejecting that Begum be allowed back in the UK.
“Under no circumstances should Begum ever step foot in the UK again,” says Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick.
“She chose to get into bed with ISIS terrorists and must now live with the consequences,” he said.
Former Conservative Defence Secretary Minister Sir Ben Wallace, told The Daily Express: “She knowingly and freely joined ISIS.
“She assisted them in the prosecution of their murderous campaign. She wanted to go there, she can stay there.”
Last year, Begum lost an appeal against the removal of her British citizenship.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The Government will always protect the UK and its citizens.
"That is why Shamima Begum — who posed a national security threat - had her British citizenship revoked and is unable to return to the UK.
“We will robustly defend any decision made to protect our national security.”