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Join on Telegram Rabat – Iraqi authorities allegedly want to extradite wives and children of Moroccans with ties to the so-called Islamic States (ISIS).
Moroccan newspaper Akhbar Al Yaoum reported on July 26 that the Iraqi government decided to send home the wives and children of Moroccan ISIS fighters after the terrorist group was eradicated from the country at the end of 2017.
The extradition operation is set to be carried out in coordination with the United Nations. and will concern the fighters’ wives and children under the age of 15. It will not, however include female ISIS fighters.
A UN team, led by a lawyer, will travel to Iraq to closely monitor the case, the extradition proceedings, and ensure international protection for the operation.
According to Akhbar Al Yaoum, Iraqi Ambassador in Holland Hicham El Alaoui confirmed the news.
The extradition operation will affect all women who are currently being held in Iraqi prisons, with the exception of those who participated in terrorist acts carried by ISIS in Iraq.
Morocco’s news agency (Maghreb Arab Press) has not said anything about Morocco’s stance on Iraq’s decision.
Posing Threat
Throughout his recent interviews with national and international news outlets, Head of Morocco’s Counter-Terrorism Bureau (BCIJ) Abdelhak Khiame expressed concern over the threat returned ISIS fighters could pose.
According to Khiame, Morocco’s position regarding returning fighters was established in 2015, allowing police to apprehend them for investigation and put them in custody.
Returnees typically receive sentences ranging from 10 to 15 years in prison.
According to El Khiame and official estimates, the number of Moroccan fighters affiliated with ISIS and other transnational terrorist networks is approximately 1,660 fighters.
They are spread throughout the MENA region, but are mainly in Iraq, Syria, and Libya. That figure also includes the 200 or so who have already returned to Morocco.
