'I want to go home' - Irish ISIS bride admits 'mistake' as she pleads for return to Ireland

Lisa Smith, the Irish woman who went to Syria is 2015 and married an ISIS fighter, has said that she wants to come home to Ireland.

'I want to go home' - Irish ISIS bride admits 'mistake' as she pleads for return to Ireland

Lisa Smith, the Irish woman who went to Syria is 2015 and married an ISIS fighter, has said that she wants to come home to Ireland.

Ms Smith, originally from Dundalk, was interviewed in the Al Hawl refugee camp on the Iraq border in Syria when CNN's Connect The World travelled to the camp where so-called "Isis brides" are being held.

Reporter Jomana Karadsheh Scott said she spoke to a woman who did not give her name "but she has been identified by Irish media as Muslim covert Lisa Smith".

The woman, who spoke in an Irish accent and appeared to be the former member of the Irish Defence Forces, told CNN's Jomana Karadsheh Scott:

I think that people should just realise that all the people here are not terrorists.

"I want to go home," she said.

When asked about the prospect of being prosecuted, she said: "I know they'd strip me of my passport. And I wouldn't travel and I'd be watched.....but...I'm already in prison (in the camp)."

The Dundalk widow is in the camp with her two-year-old daughter toddler, told the Irish Daily Mail: "I don’t think I should be tried because like, okay, if they want to put an investigation on me, they can. I have nothing to hide.

The only thing I did was come here, so if that’s my crime for coming here and realising that I made a mistake and, for me, I can’t get out, I couldn’t get out so I know what they see is bad.

Earlier this month, Defence Minister Paul Kehoe said Lisa Smith, 37, will be treated like any Irish citizen who finds themselves in trouble abroad.

The Taoiseach added that Ms Smith will be allowed to return to Ireland despite serious concerns over the safety of the wider public from ISIS supporters coming home.

At the time he said, "Going to Syria or going to live in what was called Islamic State is not in itself an offence or a crime. So we will need to carry out an investigation.

"I know the authorities there will want to interrogate her to see if she has been involved in any crimes there. But it’s very possible that she wasn’t a combatant, for example.

"We really need to get to the bottom of the facts here, to carry out a security assessment to see if the Syrian authorities want to carry out a prosecution or not."

more courts articles

Man (25) in court charged with murdering his father and attempted murder of mother Man (25) in court charged with murdering his father and attempted murder of mother
Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van
Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman

More in this section

Pile or group of multi colored and different sizes of colourful foil wrapped chocolate easter eggs in pink, blue, and gold. Larg Young sisters donate hundreds of Easter eggs to children's hospital
Ireland has third highest level of deaths on rural roads in EU  Ireland has third highest level of deaths on rural roads in EU 
Mother and daughters killed in Mayo crash named locally, as husband returns to Ireland 'Their smiles lit up the room': Tributes paid to mother and daughters killed in Mayo crash
War_map
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited