Shamima Begum’s baby dies
The newborn son of Shamima Begum, the 19-year-old who left the UK to join Isil, has died in Syria. The baby, Jarrah, who was less than three weeks old, was taken to hospital with breathing difficulties but could not be saved, Kurdish forces confirmed.
THE newborn son of Shamima Begum has died in Syria, after being rushed to hospital with breathing difficulties.
The baby, Jarrah, who was less than three weeks old, was taken to the hospital from the camp where Miss Begum has been living since leaving Isil territory, but could not be saved.
Tasnime Akunjee, the Begum family’s lawyer, broke the news yesterday citing “strong but unconfirmed reports” that the baby had died. After several hours of conflicting reports, the Syrian Defence Forces, a Kurdishled alliance, confirmed his death.
The development is likely to cause further political fallout following fierce debate about Miss Begum’s status and the rights of her baby.
The 19-year-old had begged to be allowed to return home for her son’s safety and well-being.
She had already lost two young children, a girl aged 18 months and a boy aged nine months. One died in November and the other in January.
Sajid Javid, the Home Secretary decided to strip her of her British citizenship, stating that she posed a threat to the UK and that it was “conducive to the public good”. He insisted that her dual British-bangladeshi nationality meant she would not be left stateless, which is illegal under international law.
Asked whether there was any plan for the baby, he had told the Commons Home Affairs Committee it would be “incredibly difficult” for the Government to facilitate the return of a child from Syria, where there is no British consular presence.
Renu Begum, Miss Begum’s sister, wrote to the Home Office pleading for assistance for her nephew, who was born on Feb 16 at the al-hol refugee camp in northern Syria, who she said “should not lose the privilege of being raised in the safety of this country”.
But in response, the Home Office said there was no proof that her family or their solicitor were acting on Miss Begum’s behalf.
Both the family and Mr Akunjee have struggled to make contact with Miss Begum since she resurfaced at the al-hol camp last month and have been forced to rely on local fixers on the ground for information.
As Mr Akunjee has no written instructions from the teenager confirming that he is representing her, he cannot lodge an appeal against the decision to revoke her citizenship.
There was an outpouring of outrage as news broke that the baby had died.
A paramedic working in the camp told the BBC that Jarrah died at 1.30pm on Thursday and had already been buried.
The medic said that both Miss Begum and her son were rushed to a clinic under armed guard when he suffered breathing difficulties, apparently caused by a lung infection, which left a blue tinge on his skin.
They were then transferred to hospital in al-malikiyah where the baby was placed on a respirator and drip, but later died with his mother at his side.
There was reportedly no doctor in attendance at the hospital.
Clive Stafford-smith, the founder of human rights organisation Reprieve, said: “The British government posture, insisting that all foreigners remain in tents indefinitely, is immoral, a betrayal of our SDF allies, and ultimately unsustainable.”