There would be 34 in all. This Sunday, Russia announced the repatriation of jihadists from the Islamic State (IS) group from Syria, in collaboration with the Syrian and Kurdish authorities there. “Russian children in their homeland”, welcomed on Telegram the Russian Commissioner for Children, Maria Lvova-Belova, also targeted by an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for “illegal deportation” of Ukrainian minors.
“There are 34 of them, aged from four to 16 years old,” said the official, accompanying her message with photos of children in the hands of several adults, nearby and inside a plane in the colors of Russia. In her message on social networks, Maria Lvova-Belova said she thanked “the Syrian leaders” for their support” and “the Kurdish side” for “its humanitarian cooperation”. “Babies and adolescents who lived in refugee camps in the Trans-Euphrates region have been returned to their parents,” she said. “We will continue this work: the documents for the return of 150 other children are ready,” she added, without giving further details.
4,500 Russians alongside the Islamic State
In recent years, repatriations of women and children have taken place sparsely in the face of the reluctance of foreign countries, particularly Western ones, to welcome people affiliated with ISIS. Russia decided in 2017 to systematically repatriate the children of jihadists.
Nearly 4,500 Russians, particularly from the Caucasus, fought alongside IS, and Russia was among the first countries to organize repatriations from Syria and neighboring Iraq.