Overview
- The European Court of Human Rights has formally asked the UK to answer four questions about the 2019 decision, including whether revoking Begum’s nationality breached Article 4 and whether she was owed victim‑identification duties.
- The court’s communication also queries whether the deprivation functioned like a penalty and whether Begum fell within UK jurisdiction for Article 4 purposes.
- The Home Office says it will robustly defend the move, with government sources indicating Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will stand by the decision on national‑security grounds.
- Begum’s citizenship was removed by then home secretary Sajid Javid in 2019, and subsequent challenges failed in UK courts, including a Supreme Court ruling against her return to pursue appeals.
- The case now proceeds through written submissions that could take months, as Begum remains in the al‑Roj camp in north‑east Syria and political figures in the UK condemn any prospect of her return.