Fresh images of Shamima Begum have surfaced, showing how dramatically she has changed more than a decade after leaving the U.K. to join ISIS. The 26-year-old, once known worldwide as the “ISIS bride,” was photographed in northern Syria, where she still lives under strict security.
Begum grew up in Bethnal Green, London. At age 15, she traveled to Syria with two school friends in 2015. Within days of arriving, she married an ISIS fighter. She later had three children, but none survived.
In 2019, the British government revoked her citizenship, arguing that her return posed a national security risk. Since then, she has remained in the al-Roj camp, guarded by armed forces and cut off from normal life.
Begum has repeatedly challenged the decision to strip her British citizenship. All her appeals in U.K. courts have failed, including her final attempt in August 2024.
Her legal team is now preparing a case for the European Court of Human Rights, though the process is expected to move slowly.
Under U.K. law, citizenship can be removed for several reasons, including threats to national security, fraud, or actions that could harm the country’s interests. Authorities have used this power before in cases involving extremist groups.
Reporters who recently saw Begum noted that she appeared thin, pale, and withdrawn. She wore a medical mask that covered most of her face, revealing only tired, sunken eyes. When approached by journalists, she offered only a brief comment: “We don’t have anything to say.”
In earlier interviews, Begum expressed deep regret for her choices. “I take responsibility,” she said in 2022. “I’m ashamed of myself… just a lot of regret.”
