Jihadi Jack Has British Citizenship Stripped
A Muslim who left England to join the terror group, Islamic State, has had his citizenship revoked by the Home Office.
Jack Letts, known as ‘Jihadi Jack’ in the media, was 18 when he left his home and school in Oxford to travel to Syria in order to join the radical Islamic terrorist insurgency. He was imprisoned upon being captured by Kurdish forces while attempting to flee to Turkey in May of 2017.
The Home Office said that it does not comment on individual cases, it did release the following statement: “Decisions on depriving a dual national of citizenship are based on substantial advice from officials, lawyers and the intelligence agencies and all available information. This power is one way we can counter the terrorist threat posed by some of the most dangerous individuals and keep our country safe.”
Under international law, governments are nots supposed to strip anyone of their citizenship if it would leave them “stateless” — but Letts was also held Canadian citizenship through his father.
Speaking in an interview to BBC’s Quentin Sommerville, the jihadist had admitted: “I know I was definitely an enemy of Britain.”
After being asked why he left the United Kingdom to join the jihadist group, he said: “I thought I was leaving something behind and going to something better.”
Letts told ITV News earlier this year that he wanted to return to the United Kingdom as he felt British — but understood it was unlikely he would be able to.
“I’m not going to say I’m innocent. I’m not innocent. I deserve what comes to me. But I just want it to be… appropriate… not just haphazard, freestyle punishment in Syria,” he said at the time.
We have enough Jihadists already, 26,000 according to a report by ex-Home secretary Amber Rudd. Let's hope the courts uphold this decision when the appeal is made.