EU forms unified database to try ex-ISIS fighters

Ahmed Sultan

Syrian Democratic Forces, widely known as QSD, announced in March this year the recapture of the eastern Syrian village of Baghuz, the last stronghold of ISIS in Syria.

The forces also called on ISIS fighters and their families to surrender. This was why hundreds of foreign fighters, and thousands of women and children surrendered to the Kurdish forces.

QSD then transferred these fighters and their families to refugee camps. However, these camps are proving far from enough to accommodate all these people.

On the other hand, European states have refused to allow ex-ISIS fighters and their families to return home.

Around 2,000 European nationals had left their countries and headed to Syria and Iraq to fight within the ranks of ISIS, according to the US Department of State and the US-led coalition against ISIS.

European states do not allow ex-ISIS fighters to return home against the backdrop of several security fears and legal hurdles.

European states will find it difficult to determine whether those returning where involved in war crimes or not, according to the Soufan Group which is specialized in intelligence and security studies.

Around 28 European states started taking measures in the past few weeks to bring former ISIS fighters to court.

The same states agreed to form a unified database, a mechanism that will help them overcome the lack of information about and evidence against these fighters.

However, the Soufan Group refers to a number of challenges in the way of using this information or evidence against the ex-ISIS fighter.

The Netherlands and Sweden proposed previously the formation of an international tribunal for the trial of ISIS fighters.