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== Pleas for rescue ==
== Pleas for rescue ==
Letts' parents claim the British police and the Foreign Office told them they would help him get to safety once he had left ISIS territory <ref name=":20">{{Cite news|url=http://www.counterpunch.org/2017/10/20/freejackletts/|title='#freejackletts|date=20 October 2017|access-date=21 October 2017|publisher=Counterpunch|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name=":21">{{Cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-40445999/jihadi-jack-parents-our-son-doesn-t-hate-us|title=Jihadi Jack parents: Our son doesn't hate us|work=BBC Victoria Derbyshire|date=29 June 2017|language=en-GB}}</ref> After Letts informed his parents he was in Kurdish protective custody outside of ISIS territory, they asked the British authorities for help. The [[Foreign and Commonwealth Office|Foreign Office]] said that they could not help due to lack of [[consular services]] in Syria and Iraq <ref name=":1" />, and were told by FCO officials that British government policy was not to help any British citizens return from Syria <ref name=":20" />. Letts initially told the BBC: "I don't want anyone to help me".<ref name=":1" />, but soon after requested help to return to the UK <ref name=":20" /> and said he is happy to be arrested and put on trial for any crime the police claim he has committed.<ref name=":21" />. His parents have launched a social media campaign to help secure his release <ref name=":20" />.
Letts' parents claim the British police and the Foreign Office told them they would help him get to safety once he had left ISIS territory <ref name=":20">{{Cite news|url=http://www.counterpunch.org/2017/10/20/freejackletts/|title='#freejackletts|date=20 October 2017|access-date=21 October 2017|publisher=Counterpunch|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name=":21">{{Cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-40445999/jihadi-jack-parents-our-son-doesn-t-hate-us|title=Jihadi Jack parents: Our son doesn't hate us|work=BBC Victoria Derbyshire|date=29 June 2017|language=en-GB}}</ref> After Letts informed his parents he was in Kurdish <!-- protective --> custody outside of ISIS territory, they asked the British authorities for help. The [[Foreign and Commonwealth Office|Foreign Office]] said that they could not help due to lack of [[consular services]] in Syria and Iraq <ref name=":1" />, and were told by FCO officials that British government policy was not to help any British citizens return from Syria <ref name=":20" />. Letts initially told the BBC: "I don't want anyone to help me".<ref name=":1" />, but soon after requested help to return to the UK <ref name=":20" /> and said he is happy to be arrested and put on trial for any crime the police claim he has committed.<ref name=":21" />. His parents have launched a social media campaign to help secure his release <ref name=":20" />.


== References ==
== References ==

Revision as of 10:57, 25 October 2017

Jack Letts (born 1995 or 1996[1])—nicknamed "Jihadi Jack" by the press[2]—is a British man who travelled to ISIS-held Syria in 2014. Various newspapers have claimed he was a member of ISIS, but he denies this. After escaping ISIS territory, he was imprisoned by Kurdish forces fighting in the Syrian Kurdish–Islamist conflict.

In 2016, Letts' parents were accused of funding terrorism for trying to send money to him while he was in Syria. Appearing in court in June, they denied three counts of funding terrorism and were released on conditional bail. They are awaiting trial.

Biography

Early life

Letts was born in Oxford to non-Muslim parents John Letts and Sally Lane.[3] He attended Cherwell School,[4] and converted to Islam as a teenager. He attended local mosques [5] and learned Arabic in order to read the Koran. His parents were not opposed to his conversion. [5]

Middle Eastern conflict

In 2014, aged 18, he stopped studying for his A-Levels and travelled to Jordan; by late 2014 he was in ISIS-held Syria.[6] ISIS attempted to imprison him on three occasions, as well as threatening to kill him.[1] Letts was put in low-security detention from which he escaped, going into hiding in 2015. He eventually found a people smuggler who helped him escape ISIS territory;[6] Letts' parents received a message in June 2017 stating that he was in a safe zone.[1] However, he said he has been imprisoned by Kurdish forces in north-east Syria.[6]

Some newspapers, such as Metro, published slightly different reports, saying that Letts did not escape ISIS territory and was actually captured by Kurdish militia in the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa.[7]

There were claims that, while in the Middle East, Letts has adopted the name Abu Mohammed; and that he married a woman from Fallujah, Iraq, with whom he has had a son. Letts' mother denies these claims.[8]

Possible links with ISIS

Letts claims that his journey to the Middle East was part of his "search for truth".[6][9] This led the media to claim he was fighting for ISIS, but Letts has consistently denied ever being a member of IS.[10][11] In 2016, Letts stated that he grew disillusioned with ISIS because it killed and imprisoned its former supporters and "were not upon the truth".[6] He does not regret going to the Middle East and does not plan on returning to the UK.[12]

Accusations of funding terrorism

On 9 June 2016, Letts' parents appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court, upon charges of funding terrorism.[13] The court heard that the couple had tried to send a total of £1,723 to their son, from September 2015 to January 2016.[13] John Letts and Sally Lane insist they attempted to send this money only to help their son escape from ISIS territory.[14][15] The they were remanded in custody.[16][13]

After spending five days in prison, a senior High Court judge reversed the magistrate's decision and reinstated their bail, following a hearing at the Old Bailey.[17] A trial was set for January 2017, again at the Old Bailey.[18] The case was delayed again as the couple were given permission to challenge the charges against them 'on a point of law' in the Supreme Court.[19] As of September 2017, they are still awaiting trial.[19]

Pleas for rescue

Letts' parents claim the British police and the Foreign Office told them they would help him get to safety once he had left ISIS territory [20][21] After Letts informed his parents he was in Kurdish custody outside of ISIS territory, they asked the British authorities for help. The Foreign Office said that they could not help due to lack of consular services in Syria and Iraq [6], and were told by FCO officials that British government policy was not to help any British citizens return from Syria [20]. Letts initially told the BBC: "I don't want anyone to help me".[6], but soon after requested help to return to the UK [20] and said he is happy to be arrested and put on trial for any crime the police claim he has committed.[21]. His parents have launched a social media campaign to help secure his release [20].

References

  1. ^ a b c Grierson, Jamie (13 June 2017). "UK Muslim convert Jack Letts detained by Kurdish forces – reports". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 June 2017. {{cite news}}: no-break space character in |title= at position 58 (help)
  2. ^ O'Carroll, Lisa; Gani, Aisha (25 January 2016). "'Jihadi Jack' is a label invented by media, say worried parents". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  3. ^ Rawlinson, Kevin (25 July 2016). "Muslim convert Jack Letts denies he is fighting for Isis". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  4. ^ "'Jihadi Jack' calls on British people to convert to Islam as he brands Cameron an 'evil creature'". The Independent. 30 January 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  5. ^ a b "Jihadi Jack: First white British youth to join ISIS in Syria". Daily Mail. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Sandford, Daniel; Swann, Steve (13 June 2017). "'Jihadi Jack in jail' after leaving IS-controlled territory". BBC News. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  7. ^ Smith, Adam (5 June 2017). "Jihadi Jack asks to leave jail to 'explain some things' to his mother". Metro. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  8. ^ "'Jihadi Jack' has dismissed reports he has joined Isis as 'awkward'". The Independent. 25 January 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  9. ^ "We reveal how 'Jihadi Jack' was recruited by Islamic fanatics". Daily Mail. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  10. ^ Khan, Shehab (31 January 2016). "Muslim convert Jack Letts calls on Brits to turn to Islam". The Independent.
  11. ^ Rawlinson, Kevin (25 July 2016). "Muslim convert Jack Letts denies he is fighting for Isis". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  12. ^ "'Jihadi Jack' insists he went to Syria to study religion". Daily Mail. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  13. ^ a b c "IS suspect 'Jihadi Jack's' parents granted bail over terrorism offences". BBC News. 14 June 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  14. ^ "Jihadi Jack parents: Our son doesn't hate us". BBC Victoria Derbyshire. 29 June 2017.
  15. ^ "'Jihadi Jack': Parents accused of funding terror remanded in custody". London Evening Standard. 9 June 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  16. ^ Rossington, Ben (9 June 2017). "Parents of 'Jihadi Jack' ISIS militant remanded in custody after denying sending money to their son".
  17. ^ Reporters, Telegraph (14 June 2016). "'Jihadi Jack' parents accused of funding terrorism given bail as judge says 'perfectly decent people ended up in custody' over 'love of child'". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  18. ^ "'Jihadi Jack' parents to face terror trial in January". BBC News. 23 June 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  19. ^ a b Legal Editor, Frances Gibb (11 September 2017). "Parents in legal fight over money for 'Jihadi Jack'". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 1 October 2017. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help); no-break space character in |last= at position 6 (help)
  20. ^ a b c d "'#freejackletts". Counterpunch. 20 October 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  21. ^ a b "Jihadi Jack parents: Our son doesn't hate us". BBC Victoria Derbyshire. 29 June 2017.
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