The Netherlands is working to repatriate 12 jihadist women and 29 children from camps in northern Syria in the coming days. The decision to return them followed a court ruling in May in which judges said that the defendants’ cases would not be dealt with if they were unable to appear in court.
The Netherlands wants to prosecute the women for their role in the terrorist organization ISIS, and judges gave the government four months after the decision to address the problem. Hearings are scheduled for early October, and the new group is expected to be back by that date.
Upon their return, the women will be held in a maximum security prison awaiting trial, and the children will go to nursery school. The latest figures from the AIVD security service indicate that around 35 adults and 60 children of Dutch nationality remain in the Syrian camps.
Last February, the Netherlands repatriated five women and 11 children from the Roj camp in northern Syria. They face a variety of charges, including belonging to a terrorist organization and preparing to carry out terrorist acts.
