Dorothee Maquere, wife of French extremist Jean-Michel Clain, sits with four of her five children at a security screening area in the eastern Syrian province of Deir Ezzor on March 5, 2019. (AFP)
France’s top administrative court on Tuesday rejected demands by Syria-based women and children, relatives of French extremists fighting in Syria to be repatriated back to France, arguing that a judge could not rule on the issue given it involved negotiations with foreign authorities.
“The Council of State (Conseil d’Etat) rejects the demands for repatriation made by French nationals and for their children, currently in Syria,” said the court in a statement.
Western nations have been wrestling with how to handle suspected militants and their families seeking to return from combat zones in Iraq and Syria, as well as those in detention.
In February, France said it would not for now act on US President Donald Trump’s call for European allies to repatriate hundreds of ISIS extremist group fighters from Syria, adding it would take back militants on a “case-by-case” basis.
