Who is Shamima Begum’s lawyer Tasnime Akunjee and what has he claimed about the British Isis bride?
ISIS bride Shamima Begum is attempting to return to the UK with the legal help of her family lawyer Tasnime Akunjee.
He broke the news today that the runaway bride's baby died from a lung condition yesterday. Here's everything you need to know.
Who is Shamima Begum's lawyer Tasnime Akunjee?
A criminal defence lawyer who specialises in terrorism law, Tasnime Akunjee, has been thrust into the spotlight since he began working with Isis bride Shamima Begum.
He has previously defended one of Lee Rigby's killers, who acted to avenge the killing of Muslims by British armed forces.
It is not the first time the solicitor has aired controversial views around terror and Islamic extremism.
When Shamima fled to join Islamic State as a 15-year-old girl, Mr Akunjee led a campaign for the Metropolitan Police to apologise to her family for failing to tell them that a school friend had travelled to Syria.
He claimed it “disabled the families from intervention in [their] children’s plans”.
But the lawyer had previously stated that Muslims should not co-operate with the Government's Prevent counter-terror strategy, which he claimed was “straightforward, paid-for spying on the community”.
Mr Akunjee has previously held links to human rights group CAGE - once branded "terror apologists" by then London Mayor Boris Johnson.
Writing on their website in 2015, he accused UK security services of "creating" Lee Rigby killer Michael Adebolajo by "making his life so difficult".
He later : "MI5 spent a huge amount of resources trying to turn him and speak to him before he did what he did.
"It's Frankenstein - they created him by making his life so difficult."
CAGE had previously made similar claims about Isis butcher Mohammed Emwazi, known as "Jihadi John".
On February 23 it emerged Akunjee had posted a picture on his Facebook page of himself shaking hands with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in 2016.
What has he claimed about the Isis bride?
The West London-based lawyer has been speaking out once again after 19-year-old Shamima was tracked down in a Syrian refugee camp by The Times in February.
She has pleaded to be allowed to return to the UK after giving birth to a baby boy.
"Our politicians are saying that she should be denied protections and due process that would have been granted to Nazis."
Speaking on Good Morning Britain, the lawyer compared the former Brit schoolgirl with World War One veterans suffering post-traumatic stress.
Responding to the presenter Richard Madeley's claims she didn't appear traumatised, Mr Akunjee said: "You might have said the same thing about First World War soldiers in the middle of shellshock."
What's the latest on this story?
Begum was a schoolgirl of 15 when she fled London to join terror cult Isis in Syria.
Here's what's happened so far:
- February 2015 - Shamima Begum, 15, and two pals, Kadiza Sultana and Amira Abase run away from the UK to Syria
- Feb/March 2015 - Shamima marries Dutch-born jihadi Yago Riedijk
- May 2016 - Kadiza Sultana reportedly killed in an airstrike
- February 13, 2019 - in a Syrian refugee camp
- February 13, 2019 - Times journalist's video interview with Shamima revealed
- February 14, 2019 - Pregnant Shamima begs to come home to have baby on NHS
- February 14, 2019 - Isis bride says seeing severed heads in bins ‘didn’t faze me at all’
- February 14, 2019 - Security minister Ben Wallace says he will not risk the safety of Brits
- February 15, 2019 - Begum's family beg the Government to let her return to the UK
- February 15, 2019 - Barrister specialising in family law warns her baby could be taken away as soon as she steps foot in the UK
- February 16, 2019 - Shamima Begum "rushed to hospital with contractions"
- February 17, 2019 - Shamima gives birth to baby boy
- February 18, 2019 - Family lawyer Tasnime Akunjee compares Shamima to WWI veterans and says Theresa May has "Nazi blood"
- February 20, 2019 - Shamima stripped for British citizenship
- February 20, 2019 - Britain could be forced to take Isis bride as the nation cannot leave her "stateless"
- February 21, 2019 - Jihadi bride’s baby could be her ticket back to UK, as he is British
- February 21, 2019 - Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says she should be allowed back into Britain
- February 25, 2019 - Shamima’s dad says Britain MUST take his daughter back and was wrong to revoke her citizenship
- February 28, 2019 - Shamima and newborn son flee refugee camp after death threats from other jihadi wives
Where is Shamima Begum now?
Begum fled the refugee camp with her son Jerah after receiving death threats at the end of February.
Other jihadi wives believe she has disgraced their cause by bleating about her plight - and they have vowed to kill her.
Her exact location is not yet known but is believed to be in another camp.
Shamima Begum’s lawyer Tasnime Akunjee told The Sun: “I can confirm that it is our understanding that Shamima has been moved from Al-Hol due to safety concerns around her and her baby.
“We further understand that indeed she and her child had been threatened by others at the Al-Hol camp.”
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