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Paris Court Adviser Calls France’s Refusal to Repatriate Three Men From Syria ‘Arbitrary’

The tribunal is now expected to rule within about two weeks on whether the state must review the cases.

Overview

  • The case concerns Youssef Boudouaia, Adem Clain and Amza Benabed, who were taken to Syria at ages 11–12 by parents joining the Islamic State and later detained by Kurdish forces.
  • After a late‑November hearing, the public rapporteur recommended that refusals affecting Boudouaia and Clain be reexamined, calling the state’s stance arbitrary.
  • France’s Foreign Ministry had rejected repatriation requests in 2024, citing conditions on the ground that make operations extremely difficult, though ten children and three women were returned in September.
  • Their lawyer, Marie Dosé, reports severe health issues, including daily epileptic seizures and multiple injuries for Boudouaia and a serious leg wound for Clain.
  • Benabed was transferred to Iraq, according to his lawyer, who warns of prosecution risks there and says she learned of the move during the hearing.