Shamima Begum, a British-born ISIS bride, has been photographed at her new residence after years of absence, looking visibly frail. Originally from Bethnal Green in London, she joined ISIS in Syria at 15 and became a child bride shortly after. The UK government revoked her citizenship in 2019, leaving her stateless and desperate to return home.
At the age of 26, Begum made a rare appearance at the al-Roj detention camp in Syria, where journalists from the Daily Express noticed her pale and thin appearance even though her face was mostly covered. During a brief interview, she entered the room wearing a surgical mask, revealing sunken eyes and a gaunt look.
This interview marked Begum’s first public appearance since a controversial BBC documentary in 2023. Accompanied by Hoda Muthana, an American ISIS defector, they briefly attended the interview but left without speaking, stating, “We don’t have anything to say.”
Begum’s legal team is striving to bring her back to the UK, having exhausted all legal avenues after the Supreme Court rejected her final appeal in August 2024. The European Court of Human Rights is now being pursued to review her case, arguing that the UK failed to assist in repatriating its citizens detained in Syrian camps, potentially including trafficking victims like Begum.
