Germany to repatriate first ISIS suspect, children from Syria
November 23, 2019, 11:31 am

Germany to repatriate first ISIS suspect, children from Syria

Women look after children at the Kurdish-run al-Hol camp for the displaced where families of ISIS foreign fighters are held, in the al-Hasakeh governorate in northeastern Syria, on October 17, 2019. (AFP)

Germany will repatriate for the first time a suspected member of ISIS and her children from a prison camp in northern Syria, the German foreign ministry said on Friday.

“We can confirm that three German children who were being held in northern Syria were able to travel to Iraq with their mother today. To our knowledge, all of them will travel on to Germany from there,” a foreign ministry source told AFP.

The foreign ministry did not identify the ISIS suspect, but Spiegel magazine named her as Laura H., 30.

The weekly reported that the ministry was able to secure her return after weeks of negotiation with the help of an American aid organization.

According to the magazine, German authorities had been investigating the suspect since 2016 on suspicion of belonging to a terror organization and neglect of her children.

H. is believed to have traveled to Syria from Giessen in western Germany in March 2016, and to have joined ISIS that summer.

She and her children have reportedly been held in the notoriously overcrowded Al Hol camp in northern Syria since December 2018.

The camp, which is run by the Kurdish militia YPG, hosts more than 70,000 refugees from Iraq and Syria and is the subject of continuing concern from aid agencies.

German security sources believe that around 80 German ISIS members are still in Syrian camps or prisons.

source: AFP

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”