The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has fired a warning shot at London over its 2019 decision to strip Shamima Begum of her British citizenship. The move sets the stage for a showdown between Strasbourg and Westminster on one of the most controversial national security cases in recent years.
Begum’s Challenge to UK Government
Begum, who left the UK aged 15 to join ISIS in Syria, launched her case last December, arguing the Government breached Article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which bans slavery and forced labour. The ECHR has now demanded that the Home Office explain whether it considered Begum a trafficking victim before pulling her citizenship.
“The Home Secretary will robustly defend the decision to revoke Shamima Begum’s citizenship, which has been tested and upheld time and again in our domestic courts. The Home Secretary will always put this country’s national security first,”
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– Government source
Government Vows to Fight, Conservatives Stand Firm
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood reiterated a vow to fight the case. A Home Office spokesman echoed: “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.”
