Baghdad Warns Europe Over Reluctance to Repatriate ISIS Affiliates
A member of Iraq’s Coordination Framework coalition has warned that if European countries continue to refuse to repatriate nationals affiliated with ISIS, Baghdad will formally raise the issue with the United Nations. This warning comes as Iraq faces an increasing transfer of ISIS members into the country.
Kazem Al-Alawi, a member of the coalition, stated that the future Iraqi government will confront a major and complex security challenge; a challenge directly linked to the movement of ISIS elements into Iraqi territory, which requires serious political and legal action at the international level.
According to Al-Alawi, the future government must convince European countries, especially France and Germany, to take back their ISIS nationals from Iraq. He emphasized that Iraq neither has the capacity nor the responsibility to bear the burden of these individuals alone.
The Iraqi official added that if the mentioned countries do not cooperate with Baghdad, Iraq will officially file a case against them at the United Nations. He noted that among these individuals are prominent ISIS leaders who must be tried in their countries of origin.
Reports indicate that in recent weeks, hundreds of ISIS members have been transferred from prisons in Syria, under U.S. supervision, to Iraq; a development that has caused new security and legal concerns for Baghdad.
