Article author:
Associated Press
Paris (AP) — According to a statement from the Associated Press, French authorities returned 51 women and children from the former Islamic State-controlled area of Syria on Tuesday.
This is the largest return of women and children from camps in northeastern Syria to France since the defeat of the Islamic State group in March 2019. In France, more citizens are leaving to join the IS than in any other country. Europe.
Tuesday's group consists of 16 women aged 22-39 and 35 minors, 7 of whom come to France without an adult. All women except two in the group are French citizens. Twelve women returned home with their children, and four women had previously agreed to return their children, according to a statement from the prosecution.
Eight women were detained for interrogation and the other eight were detained on arrest warrants. The children took care of the child protection services attached to the Versailles Court of Justice.
According to a statement by the prosecutor, one of the 35 minors has been detained by police on suspicion of participating in the activities of a terrorist criminal enterprise. The statement said minors will soon be 18 years old.
Many European countries took time to allow the return of women and children for fear of turning their homes on violently. France, which has suffered multiple deadly attacks since 2015, with more civilians participating in Syria's IS than any other European country, was particularly reluctant.
French officials argue that adults who fought IS should be prosecuted in the country where they committed the crime.
In December, a 28-year-old French woman with diabetes died in a Syrian camp, and her 6-year-old daughter became an orphan, according to a lawyer in her family who had requested a return from 2019. became. ..
