No Script

Please Wait...

Ramadan Kareem...

Around 450 Daesh-linked French Nationals Detained in Syria – Le Drian

Around 450 Daesh-linked French Nationals Detained in Syria – Le Drian
folder_openSyria access_time4 years ago
starAdd to favorites

By Staff, Agencies

Around 450 French nationals linked to Daesh [the Arabic acronym for terrorist ‘ISIS/ISIL’ group] are being held by Kurds or detained in refugee camps in northeastern Syria, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Tuesday.

"In the northeastern zone of Syria, we think that there are between 400 and 450 French people, some in camps, others held as prisoners, including children," Le Drian told parliament's foreign affairs committee.

He said only the children could be repatriated if they were orphans or if their mothers gave permission.

France has long insisted that its adult citizens captured in Iraq or Syria must face trial locally, refusing to repatriate them despite the risk they could receive death sentences.

"Our position is still the same and we will not shift: fighters must be judged where they have committed crimes," Le Drain said.

Le Drian said that more than 100 French fighters were still present in Idlib, the last terrorist stronghold in Syria's northwest.

Comments