Sweden repatriates 3 women accused of ties to ISIS, 8 children from Syria

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdish-led civilian administration in northeastern Syria, officially called the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), handed over 3 Swedish women suspected of ISIS affiliation and 8 children to a Swedish government team on Wednesday.

They “were handed over to a delegation from the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs according to an official transfer document signed by the AANES and the Kingdom of Sweden,” the co-chair of AANES’ Foreign Relations Department, Abdul Karim Omar, tweeted on Thursday.

On 20 October, 3 Swedish women and 8 children from ISIS families were handed over to a delegation from the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs according to an official transfer document signed by the AANES and the Kingdom of Sweden.@AnnLinde @SweMFA pic.twitter.com/WPsdLGGfNu

— Dr Abdulkarim Omar (@abdulkarimomar1) October 21, 2021

Also on Monday, the Kurdish-led civilian administration in northeast Syria handed over three children from Islamic State (ISIS) families to a delegation from the United Kingdom.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the civilian Autonomous Administration in northeast Syria have repeatedly suggested that foreign countries should repatriate their citizens that are stuck in Syria.

Several Western countries have been reluctant to repatriate their citizens due to legal and security risks and domestic opposition to the repatriation of ISIS suspects

Initially, the AANES and SDF said they would put foreign ISIS women and men on trial. But so far, they were not able to get international support for an international court in northeast Syria.

On Tuesday, the Syria-based Rojava Information Center said in a public statement that nearly 70 families were scheduled to leave the notorious al-Hol displacement camp, a sprawling facility in northeastern Hasakah province that has housed thousands of women charged with ISIS affiliation and their children since the territorial defeat of ISIS in Syria in March 2019.

Read More: Syria’s notorious al-Hol camp to release 69 families as part of efforts to empty facility

“According to AANES authorities, 69 families of Syrian IDPs will be released from Al-Hol camp back to Deir ez-Zor and the surrounding countryside tomorrow Wednesday, October 20th at 10 am,” the RIC tweeted on Tuesday.