The wife of an ISIS fighter has mysteriously died in her cell after Canada refused to repatriate her.
The 40-year-old Quebec woman, only known by her the initials F.J, escaped the Al-Roj camp in Syria, where she was detained for six years, in March. Three months later, she was arrested in Turkey and charged with membership in an armed terrorism group.
Despite being acquitted on October 15, she was found dead in her cell at Tarsus Closed Women’s Prison in Tarsus, southeast of Turkey on October 17th. She was the last Canadian woman detained in a Syrian camp for captured ISIS members.
Her lawyer, Lawrence Greenspon, expressed suspicion over the circumstances of her death and has demanded that an autopsy be performed.
‘It just doesn’t make sense that after being acquitted on the 15th, within 48 hours, she was found dead,’ he told CTV News.
The wife of an ISIS fighter, known by the initials F.J., has mysteriously died after Canada refused to repatriate her. Her six children (pictured) were allowed to return back without their mother.
F.J, escaped the Al-Roj camp in Syria (pictured), where she was detained for six years, in March. Three months later, she was arrested in Turkey and charged with membership in an armed terrorism group.
While Canada’s government refused to repatriate her, they allowed for the return of her four sons and two daughters. Three of her children were born in Syria, while another was born in the detention camp.
‘It makes you wonder what kind of unhumanitarian policy or basis was put forward to, on the one hand, bring back the children, and on the other say ‘no’ to their mother,’ Greenspon said.
Internal documents obtained by Global News suggested that F.J. was considered a national security risk. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), unable to charge her or impose restrictions upon her return to Canada, left authorities without a clear course of action.
The memo, titled National Security Threat, read: ‘In the absence of a charge package or peace bond, F.J. would have freedom of movement upon return to Canada.’
Greenspon, allegedly unaware of memo prior, claimed it revealed a deliberate refusal to assist F.J.
He argued that the government’s reasoning was a ‘circular argument,’ as they denied her assistance because they lack evidence to justify legal action.
‘It’s not that they don’t have the means to control her behavior; it’s that they don’t have the evidence,’ Greenspon said. ‘It tells you something about their assessments.’
Additionally, the memo revealed that up to 11 Canadian men are still being detained by Kurdish forces in northeast Syria. Four of these individuals have been publicly identified.
F.J. was the last Canadian woman detained in a Syrian camp for captured ISIS members
Ten Canadian children remain in detention while the government evaluates their repatriation. Their mothers are not being considered for repatriation as they are not citizens of Canada.
At the height of the conflict in Syria and Iraq, several Canadian citizens traveled to the region to join terrorist groups. Many were killed in combat, while others were captured and detained by Kurdish forces after ISIS’s defeat in 2019. The exact number of Canadians who joined ISIS remains unknown.
Of the nine women initially detained, F.J. was the last to remain Syria, while the others have since been repatriated to Canada.
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