Iraqi FM calls for extradition of terrorist families with foreign citizenship

"Hussein stressed the importance of concerted international efforts for solving this problem."
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein (right) talking with his Belgian counterpart Sophie Wilmès in New York on Sept. 26, 2021. (Photo: Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein (right) talking with his Belgian counterpart Sophie Wilmès in New York on Sept. 26, 2021. (Photo: Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein called on countries to live up to their responsibility for extraditing family members of detained terrorists in Iraq who hold foreign citizenship during a meeting with his Belgian counterpart Sophie Wilmès on Sunday. 

“In the meeting held on the sidelines of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmès praised the efforts made by Iraq to communicate with many countries to facilitate the return of the terrorists’ families detained in Iraq, including their children who were born in Iraq,” read a statement in Arabic published on the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs website on Sunday.  

According to the official statement, many of these countries have only taken back children of detained terrorists’ families to date, often leaving their mothers behind. 

“Hussein stressed the importance of concerted international efforts for solving this problem,” the statement added.  

The foreign minister called on these countries to understand Iraq’s circumstances and also to understand that Baghdad “is obligated to deal with them [terrorists’ families] according to Iraqi laws and legislations.” 

Following the defeat and destruction of the Islamic States’ (ISIS) self-styled caliphate, many family members of detained ISIS terrorists remained in Iraq and Syria. Despite the fact these include a considerable number of European citizens, many of their countries have proven unwilling to extradite them, leaving regional governments and authorities to deal with them.