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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Tom Pilgrim & Rachael McMenemy

Islamic State bride Shamima Begum 'could face death penalty' in Bangladesh

Islamic State runaway bride Shamima Begum could face the death penalty if she enters Bangladesh, the country's Foreign Minister has announced.

Abdul Momen said Bangladesh had "nothing to do" with Ms Begum, and warned she could be "hanged".

Ms Begum gained notoriety recently after she pleaded to be allowed home to the UK after leaving to join Islamic State in 2015.

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In February, the 19-year-old was stripped of her British citizenship by the Home Secretary after news emerged she was living in a Syrian refugee camp.

Under international law it is illegal to revoke someone's citizenship if it leaves them stateless.

It was thought Ms Begum had a claim to Bangladeshi citizenship through her family, but Bangladeshi officials have denied this.

Speaking to ITV News, Dr Momen said: "We have nothing to do with Shamima Begum. She is not a Bangladeshi citizen.

"She never applied for Bangladeshi citizenship. She was born in England and her mother is British.

"If anyone is found to be involved with terrorism, we have a simple rule: there will be capital punishment. And nothing else.

"She would be put in prison and immediately the rule is she should be hanged."

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After Ms Begum resurfaced at the camp and announced she was heavily pregnant, both herself and her family begged for her to be allowed back to the UK with her child.

Ms Begum gave birth to a baby boy, Jarrah, in the camp, who died aged less than three weeks.

Shamima Begum pictured with her child shortly after birth (ITV)

The Home Secretary faced criticism in the wake of the child's death, who was a British citizen regardless of his mother's status.

Sajid Javid defended his decision to remove Ms Begum's citizenship and said the Government could not assist British nationals in Syria as there is no consular presence there.

In the wake of her continued pleading to come home thousands of people from Merseyside signed a petition attempting to ban her from coming back to the UK.

In March, it was reported that Ms Begum's family have begun legal proceedings to challenge the Home Secretary's move.

Ms Begum's family's lawyer Tasnime Akunjee said Dr Momen pointed out "what is obvious to all".

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"Shamima Begum was born here, raised here and radicalised here, in no way is she Bangladesh's problem," he said.

"What Sajid Javid did in stripping Shamima Begum of her citizenship is human fly-tipping - taking our problems and illegally dumping them on our innocent neighbours.

"The Home Secretary is open at any time to change his mind and reverse his decision regarding stripping Shamima's citizenship.

"This would have the added benefit of saving the British taxpayer all the costs of having a long trial where it is fairly clear what the outcome is going to be."

The Government has said it would not comment on individual cases and that decisions to deprive individuals of their citizenship are based on "all available evidence" and are "not taken lightly".

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