A court in Brussels on Wednesday examined the case brought by two Belgian fighters in Syria, Tatiana Wielandt (27 years) and Bouchra Abouallal (26 years), against the Belgian state.
Currently in northern Syria, the women demand that the Belgian state repatriate them with their children. The same demand has already been rejected twice before.
A first hearing found that Belgium is not obliged to repatriate the women. A second procedure was declared inadmissible by the Court of Appeal because it was identical to the first. The Belgian State considers that this third claim must again be declared inadmissible.
“It has already been examined twice. In case the situation on the ground changes, makes no difference, Belgium is not in authority of what is going on in Syria,” declared the Belgian state lawyer. It hasn’t also been shown that the situation of these women would be more dangerous now than before.”
According to the legal advice of the two women and their children, the situation is quite different.
"My clients live in a tent about 100 kilometers from the Turkish border, their children are weak, they are in an area controlled by Syria's allies from Turkey, but the Belgian state makes no effort to contact Turkey or its allies when a number of children could be repatriated."
The legal case will be decided on 20 November. Until then, the lawyer of the two female fighters will need to let the Belgian state know of their exact location and situation.
The Brussels Times
