--- description: The family of a British schoolgirl who married an ISIS fighter is appealing the government's decision to revoke her U.K. citizenship. title: Shamima Begum Family Appeals Citizenship Revocation in Court image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt844c1b7887057d66/6989470b4ee2623e2f31434a/shamima-begum-photo.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [United Kingdom](/tag/united-kingdom/) ## United Kingdom Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The Family of Shamima Begum Is Appealing the U.K. Government's Decision to Revoke Her Citizenship by [Hillary Leung](/author/hillary-leung/) ## Hillary Leung Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 21, 2019 4:39 AM CUT  Renu Begum, eldest sister of Shamima Begum, 15, holds her sister's photo as she is interviewed by the media at New Scotland Yard in London, England, on Feb. 22, 2015. Renu Begum, eldest sister of Shamima Begum, 15, holds her sister's photo as she is interviewed by the media at New Scotland Yard in London, England, on Feb. 22, 2015.Laura Lean—WPA/Getty Images by [Hillary Leung](/author/hillary-leung/) ## Hillary Leung Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 21, 2019 4:39 AM CUT The family of a British schoolgirl who married an ISIS fighter in Syria is [formally appealing](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/mar/20/shamima-begum-family-challenge-sajid-javid-over-citizenship-decision "undefined") the government’s decision to revoke her U.K. citizenship, the _Guardian_ reports. Tasnime Akunjee, a solicitor for the family of Shamima Begum, said the revocation violates the European convention on human rights. “We are arguing the decision is wrong because it renders Shamima Begum stateless, it puts her life at risk, exposes her to inhumane and degrading treatment, and breaches her right to family life,” Akunjee told the _Guardian_. British Home Secretary Sajid Javid wrote in a letter to Begum’s family that he believed that because Begum’s parents are Bangladeshi, she would be eligible to apply for citizenship in Bangladesh. But the country’s ministry of foreign affairs has said that there was “no question” of her being allowed into Bangladesh. Begum fled her London home in February 2015 and [escaped to Syria ](http://time.com/3721309/british-girls-syria/ "undefined")with two other girls from her school after being radicalized online. She was 15 at the time. She subsequently married a Dutch terrorist fighter and had three children, all of whom have died through illness and malnutrition. Begum told a journalist at a refugee camp in in February that she [wanted to return to the U.K.](http://time.com/5529266/london-schoolgirl-joined-isis-return-home/ "undefined") so she could care for her third baby, but that child [died in early March](http://time.com/5548568/british-isis-bride-baby-dies/ "undefined") at about a month old. The family’s appeal states that the decision to strip Begum of her citizenship is unfair because hundreds of U.K. citizens who went to I.S. territory have been allowed back into Britain. “The government has accepted that 400 people have picked up a gun and actively fought for Isis and then been allowed back to Britain,” Akunjee said. “So how can it be proportionate for a 19-year-old girl who had a child not to be allowed to return, when the others have been allowed to return?” In an interview with Sky News last month, Begum [said](https://news.sky.com/story/is-bride-shamima-begum-full-transcript-i-did-have-a-good-time-there-11640278 "undefined") she “never did anything dangerous” and that she was “just a housewife for the entire four years.” She added, however, that she did not regret joining ISIS. With the terror group facing defeat at its last remaining stronghold, governments are grappling with [whether to permit](http://time.com/5534569/shamima-begum-isis-islamic-state-syria-citizenship-stateless/ "undefined") the return of citizens who went to ISIS-controlled areas and are now hoping to come back. President Donald Trump tweeted last month that an Alabama woman, Hoda Muthana, [will not be allowed](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1098327855145062411 "undefined") to return to the U.S. with her toddler son. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5555620/shamima-begum-british-schoolgirl-isis-citizenship/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5555620/shamima-begum-british-schoolgirl-isis-citizenship/"},"headline":"The Family of Shamima Begum Is Appealing the U.K. Government's Decision to Revoke Her Citizenship","datePublished":"2019-03-21T04:39:29.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T23:05:40.335Z","description":"A solicitor said the decision puts Begum's life at risk and leaves her stateless","url":"https://time.com/5555620/shamima-begum-british-schoolgirl-isis-citizenship/","keywords":["United Kingdom","onetime","overnight"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt844c1b7887057d66/6989470b4ee2623e2f31434a/shamima-begum-photo.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Hillary Leung","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/hillary-leung/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt844c1b7887057d66/6989470b4ee2623e2f31434a/shamima-begum-photo.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"shamima-begum-photo.jpg","caption":"Relatives Of Missing Schoolgirls Give Interview To Scotland Yard","creditText":"Laura Lean—WPA/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/united-kingdom/","name":"United Kingdom"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5555620/shamima-begum-british-schoolgirl-isis-citizenship/","name":"The Family of Shamima Begum Is Appealing the U.K. Government's Decision to Revoke Her Citizenship"}}]}] ```