Islamic State bride Shamima Begum speaks out about revoked UK citizenship

Islamic State (IS) bride Shamima Begum has spoken out about her British citizenship being revoked last year after she pleaded to return home.

Begum - who was born in the United Kingdom - fled the country in 2015 to join IS in Syria, where she married one of the terrorist group's fighters. She returned to the public spotlight last year when she begged British officials to allow her home to have her third child.

However, the Home Secretary at the time, Sajid Javid, revoked her citizenship and her new-born baby died. Earlier in February, an appeal by Begum was ruled out in court, meaning she couldn't travel to London.

The IS bride has now spoken out in an ABC interview set to air in the coming days. Previewing the report, ABC's foreign correspondent James Longman tweeted pictures of Begum in a tent in a refugee camp in Syria she is living in. Longman said she was upset about her citizenship being revoked. 

"When my citizenship got rejected, I felt like my whole world fell apart right in front of me. You know, especially the way I was told. I wasn't even told by a government official. I had to be told by journalists," Begum said.

"I kind of saw it coming because I did do my research just before I came out. I thought I would be a bit different because I had not done anything wrong before I came to ISIS."

When it was put to Begum that in previous media appearances she had looked unrepentant, the bride said: "I had just come into the camp. I had just given birth." 

"I was hearing all these stories about women threatening other women, you know, folk uncovering their faces or speaking to men or doing interviews or anything like that. I just was afraid for my life."

Alongside Begum is Kimberly Polman who left Canada for IS in 2015. Begum hopes they both will be able to return to their homes. 

"I hope that people will look at this in a balanced way. And do what I know to be the right thing - to take the children back, take the women back, take the men back, judge them normally and deal with the problems instead of shoving them under the rug."

Longman tweeted that the tents were among the best he had seen in refugee camps. They are heated with electricity and have satellite television and cooking appliances, according to the journalist.

"It feels like a minimum-security prison in the west - they have fairy lights up for Valentine's Day when I meet them, and talk about baking a cake with their group of friends that night. Other women in the camp are allowed to work, and the pair tell me money is shared," Longman said. 

But Polman said the camp was still dangerous, with children being radicalised.

"I've seen a child chop the head off a doll."

At Begum's appeal, London's Special Immigration Appeals Commission ruled that while conditions at the al-Roj camp where Begum is were abhorrent, her human rights were not protected under European law.

When Begum's citizenship was revoked, there were concerns about the decision's legitimacy, as under international law an individual cannot be made stateless by a nation cancelling their citizenship.

However, the commission ruled that she was not improperly deprived of her nationality. Last year it was reported that Begum's parents were of Bangladeshi origin so she could obtain a Bangladeshi passport. But the Bangladeshi government said at the time that Begum would not be allowed into the country, which she has never visited. Begum's lawyers said she could be hanged if she was forced to go to Bangladesh.

Begum's lawyer immediately suggested an appeal against the decision, adding that Begum faced increased dangers. They also said she hadn't been able to properly consult with her lawyers.

In September, Begum said she now hated IS and was "constantly making babies" while with them. She said she had mental health issues and again called for Britain to allow her to return. Current Home Secretary Priti Patel responded by saying there was "no way, no way" the woman could return.

A Sky News poll found 78 percent of people supported the decision to revoke Begum's citizenship.