Shamima Begum news: Sajid Javid defends stripping Isis bride of citizenship, as she asks forgivenes

Follow the latest updates as former east London schoolgirl gives first live TV interview

Shamima Begum says she would ‘rather die’ than go back to Isis

Shamima Begum has begged the British people for forgiveness, saying there is “no evidence” she was a key player in preparing terrorist acts and is prepared to prove her innocence in court.

The 22-year-old, from east London, has had her British citizenship revoked by the Home Office on national security grounds, and is currently living in a camp in Syria.

It comes after she travelled with two other schoolgirls to Syria to join Isis in 2015.

In her first live TV interview, the former Isis bride told ITV’s Good Morning Britain she could be “an asset” in the fight against terror, saying she had been “groomed” to flee to Syria as a “dumb” and impressionable child.

She also said she was “pretty sure” Sajid Javid would change his mind about her citizenship - a decision he made while home secretary - if the pair met face to face.

But the health secretary defended the decision to revoke Begum’s citizenship as “absolutely right” and hit back at her claims that she played no part in Isis terrorism.

• Shamima Begum says ‘sorry’ to Manchester bombing victims in GMB interview
• Shamima Begum says she would ‘rather die’ than go back to Isis
• Shamima Begum apologises to Manchester bombing victims as she says she is not a terrorist

Key Points

• Shamima Begum asks British public for forgiveness
• Sajid Javid defends stripping Isis bride of citizenship
• Timeline of events since Shamima Begum fled to join Isis six years ago
• Shamima Begum says Boris Johnson ‘clearly doesn’t know what he’s doing’
• Shamima Begum says she would ‘rather die’ than go back to Isis

[15 September 2021 14:28 · Chiara Giordano]

Piers Morgan says ‘monster’ Shamima Begum should be ‘left to rot’ after TV appearance

Former Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan has said Shamima Begum should be “left to rot” following her TV appearance this morning.

He wrote on Twitter: “Just as well I’m not interviewing this lying, snivelling, cold-hearted, self-serving ISIS bride monster or I’d have seriously lost my temper by now. Begum should never be allowed back to Britain.

“Let her rot in the terror bed she made for herself.”

[15 September 2021 15:08 · Chiara Giordano]

Key points and reaction from GMB interview

Here’s a round-up of the key points from Shamima Begum’s GMB interview and how people reacted:

[15 September 2021 15:41 · Chiara Giordano]

Government should repatriate British detainees in Syria like Shamima Begum, says human rights charity

Maya Foa, director of the human rights charity Reprieve, has said the government should repatriate Brits like Shamima Begum living in camps in Syria.

She said: “The UK is more than capable of dealing with the cases of Britons detained in these camps, many of whom were trafficked by ISIS after being groomed online.

“The alternative is that they will be transferred to face torture and the death penalty in Iraq or Assad-controlled Syria.

“The British government should listen to our allies like the US, and repatriate British detainees in Syria.”

[15 September 2021 16:01 · Chiara Giordano]

‘It is beneath us as a nation to shirk our responsibility for British nationals,’ says Tory MP

Conservative MP Andrew Mitchell, co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Trafficked Britons in Syria, suggested the government was shirking its responsibility for British nationals.

He said: "Since when was a schoolgirl too much for the British justice system?

“Not only is the UK out of step with our allies who are repatriating their citizens, it is also beneath us as a nation to shirk our responsibility for British nationals and, as security experts have warned, it makes us all less safe.”

[15 September 2021 16:28 · Joe Middleton]

Shamima Begum is our problem – the government cannot just wish her away

A hardline on crime is how Boris Johnson’s government is set up, but should that not mean making people face the consequences of their actions, asks Chris Stevenson.

[15 September 2021 17:04 · Joe Middleton]

Kevin Maguire calls for Shamima Begum to be ‘brought home’

The Daily Mirror’s associate editor Kevin Maguire said that Shamima Begum was “groomed by fanatics” and the government should be “bring her home”.

The regular on Good Morning Britain, tweeted: “Shamima Begum was a London schoolgirl when she was groomed by fanatics who’d be prosecuted if they did it in Britain.

“Bring her home, investigate, punish if appropriate then use her to stop others falling under the spell of extremists.”