Family of Shamima Begum hires human rights lawyer

SHAMIMA BEGUM’S family has hired a top human rights lawyer whose past clients include hate cleric Abu Qatada.

Gareth Peirce, once called lawyer of choice “for every accused jihadist and IRA suspect”, took over the case of the ex-bethnal Green schoolgirl last week.

The move in the fight to bring the teenager back to Britain will be seen as a coup for the family, coming as this newspaper revealed Ms Begum, according to sources, had served in the Islamic State’s “morality police” and tried to recruit other young women.

She carried a Kalashnikov rifle and was known as an “enforcer” of Isil laws such as women’s dress codes, sources claim. Ms Peirce, 79, of law firm Birnberg Peirce, replaces Tasnime Akunjee who worked pro bono for the family after Ms Begum fled to Syria in 2015. He said Ms Peirce had the “legal aid contract”, suggesting the family has won help to appeal Sajid Javid’s decision to strip Ms Begum of British citizenship.

The family is understood to have lodged a request for a judicial review to challenge the Home Secretary’s decision. An appeal to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission is said to require Ms Begum’s signature.

It is a critical time for the 19-year-old, who, it has also been claimed, stitched suicide bombers into explosive vests, intelligence operatives told Theresa May and Mr Javid, according to The Mail on Sunday. There are concerns that such evidence may not meet the legal threshold for a UK trial. Ms Begum said in Syria she did little but care for her three children, who all died.

Ms Peirce, who made her name representing one of the Guildford Four. did not reply to a request for comment.