Canada’s federal court has ordered the government to repatriate four Canadians detained in the Autonomous Region of North and East Syria. The men are jihadists arrested by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The court’s decision follows a request from family members of 23 Canadian nationals or mothers of Canadian children who have been held in prisons or detention centers in northeast Syria for years.
The Canadian government pledged on Thursday to promote the repatriation of 19 women and children. The federal court argued that the men’s detention conditions were even worse than those of the women and children housed in the camps. In addition, none of the men have been charged or convicted and the government has not provided any evidence that they were involved in terrorist activities.
Canada repatriated two women and two children last October. One of the women, Kimberly Polman, was released under strict conditions. The other, Oumaima Choay, has been charged with multiple terrorism offenses but has been released on bail while awaiting trial.
Around 12,000 IS members are being held in prisons in north-eastern Syria. In addition to Syrian and Iraqi nationals, 7,800 IS women and children from 54 other countries are housed in Camp Hol. A new generation of IS is growing up in the camp.
