Shamima Begum, a British-born former ISIS bride, has been seen for the first time in years at her new residence in exile, appearing visibly frail. Originally from Bethnal Green in London, she joined the terrorist group in Syria at the age of 15 in 2015 and became a child bride shortly after. In 2019, the Conservative government disowned her, rendering her stateless. Despite her efforts to reunite with her family in the UK, she has been unsuccessful.
At 26 years old, Begum made a rare appearance in a brief interview at the al-Roj detention camp in Syria, where reporters observed her looking pale and thin despite wearing a mask that covered most of her face. During the interview, she entered the room with her face concealed by a surgical mask, with journalists noting her sunken eyes and gaunt appearance.
This recent interview marked Begum’s first public appearance in years, following her last known appearance in a contentious BBC documentary in 2023. Accompanied by Hoda Muthana, an American who also joined ISIS but surrendered to coalition forces in 2019, Begum declined to answer questions and swiftly left the room, stating, “We don’t have anything to say.”
Begum is currently seeking to return to the UK, as her legal team is pursuing a case with the European Court of Human Rights after exhausting all domestic legal options, including a final appeal denied by the Supreme Court in August 2024. The court ruled that the decision regarding her British citizenship deprivation should have taken into account the possibility of her being a victim of trafficking. Her lawyers argue that the UK government has neglected its duty to repatriate its citizens and their children detained in Syrian camps for an extended period without trial.
Highlighting the prolonged detention of British nationals in Syria, the legal team emphasized that other countries facing similar situations have intervened to bring back their citizens. They expressed grave concerns over the arbitrary imprisonment of British women and children in Syrian camps without any legal resolution or prospect of release.