Jihadi Jack: Former Isis member stripped of British citizenship, reports claim
The former Isis member known as Jihadi Jack has been stripped of his British citizenship, according to reports.
Muslim convert Jack Letts joined the terrorist group after travelling to Raqqa in Syria when he was 18. He was jailed after being captured by Kurdish YPG forces while attempting to flee to Turkey in May 2017.
The 24-year-old, who held dual UK and Canadian citizenship, previously declared he was an “enemy of Britain”, but has since begged to be allowed to return to the UK and insisted he had “no intention” of killing Britons.
According to the Mail on Sunday, his UK citizenship has now been revoked by the government – a move that is said to have sparked a diplomatic row between Britain and Canada.
The Home Office said it did not comment on individual cases but a spokesperson said decisions on depriving a dual national of citizenship were based on “substantial advice from officials, lawyers and the intelligence agencies and all available information”.
They added: “This power is one way we can counter the terrorist threat posed by some of the most dangerous individuals and keep our country safe.”
It comes after Shamima Begum – one of three girls from east London who left the UK to join Isis in 2015 – was stripped of her UK citizenship by the Home Office earlier this year.
Critics said the move set a “very dangerous precedent”, saying the UK should “take responsibility” for its citizens and try them for crimes in British courts.
Under international law, a person can only be stripped of their citizenship by a government if it does not leave them stateless.
Mr Letts’ parents were recently convicted of sending him money while he was in Syria, despite repeated warnings that their son had joined Isis.
In June, John Letts and Sally Lane, who denied funding terrorism, were handed a 15-month prison term suspended for a year due to the “special circumstances of the case”, meaning they would not be jailed unless they commit further offences in that time.
