Four young men, aged 18 to 22, are held in a deradicalization center in Syrian Kurdistan after being taken from France by their radicalized families to join ISIS. They recount traumatic experiences, including violence and the harsh realities of life under ISIS. Despite their claims of innocence, the impact of their upbringing weighs heavily on them. As they seek a way back to France, they grapple with physical and psychological scars, questioning their future and the lack of response from their home country.
Some have endured gunshot wounds or shrapnel injuries, while others grapple with post-traumatic stress. Their traumas vary in severity, yet these four young individuals, aged between 18 and 22, held in a so-called deradicalization center in northeastern Syria, share a common background: they all grew up in France. ‘I was born in 2005, in Strasbourg, France,’ Youssef reveals in a report aired on October 17. ‘I was born in 2002, in France,’ adds Hamza. Hassan fondly recalls a time when his life ‘was good.’ ‘I had friends, I went to school,’ he reminisces. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Ylias asserts he spent his vacations ‘in Corsica or Morocco.’ ‘It was cool,’ he says, until their parents made the decision to join the Islamic State in Syria, taking them along.
Now, these young French nationals find themselves trapped, with no hope of release. They are confined in closed centers alongside hundreds of other youths from Europe, Asia, and even America. Hassan vividly remembers arriving in Syria at the tender age of ten, taken on a forced journey with his two brothers by their radicalized father. ‘He was a teacher of Islamic religion and he fought as well,’ he recounts. After losing his father in battle, followed by his brothers, the young boy was taken in by a family and raised amidst the brutality of the Islamic State. He is still haunted by harrowing recollections, including public executions. ‘I saw three women and three men being stoned to death for not being married and for being together. When you see blood splattering, hear people screaming, and witness someone dying in front of you, you just stand there shocked, unable to move,’ he shares.
I entered the prisons or centers, with the Kurds, when I was 16. Now, I’m 22.
I entered the prisons or centers, with the Kurds, when I was 16. Now, I’m 22.
Hamza
Ylias points out that he and his unfortunate companions are victims in this narrative. ‘We had nothing to do with it; we are innocent. We had no connections to what ISIS was doing. We were just kids,’ he asserts, blaming his father for their plight. ‘I hold so much resentment toward him because he ruined our lives. He ruined my mother’s life and my brothers’ lives, and in the end, he died. And here we are, in prison,’ he stresses.
Hamza and Youssef note that they have already spent a third of their lives incarcerated at such a young age. ‘I entered the prisons or centers with the Kurds when I was 16. Now, I’m 22,’ Hamza states, while Youssef expresses concern as time passes. ‘We are really becoming men as the years go by, and nothing changes; nothing is being done,’ he laments.
‘The rehabilitation process must have an end’
This situation raises significant questions. Firstly, did they even have a choice? To shed light on this, the TF1 team found propaganda footage from 2014. In it, an ISIS operative addresses two young boys, each holding an AK-47. Those boys are Youssef and Hamza, then around ten years old, stating they are in Raqqa amidst war. ‘Come here and see how it is!’ Youssef exclaims. Years later, he attempts to rationalize his involvement on camera. ‘It was a stupid video. It was pointless and, in fact, it harmed us. We didn’t even know that guy. We were still little; he threatened us and told us to speak and scare people. I don’t even know why I participated in it,’ he admits.
All these youths were exposed to the extremist ideology of ISIS. To rehabilitate them, Kurdish authorities have separated them from their families and placed them in deradicalization centers. The educators involved prefer to remain anonymous, teaching subjects like science and English. They include both men and women, some not wearing veils, to help the youths acclimate to a different reality. Here, they also learn to manage their emotions. However, how effective is this deradicalization initiative? The director mentions that three youths were removed from the program because they failed to change their mindset. For the hundreds of others, he believes