Muslim convert Jihadi Jack after travelling to Syria to join ISIS pleads with Canada to free him from Kurdish jail
The British Muslim convert languishing in a Kurdish jail after travelling to Syria and allegedly joining ISIS has pleaded with Canada to help free him – and made jokes about bombs in interviews with officials.
Jack ‘Jihadi Jack’ Letts, 22, from Oxford, is accused of entering ISIS-held territory in September 2014 before joining the terrorist group, and was eventually arrested by Kurdish forces.
Letts, who has dual British-Canadian citizenship, has turned to Canada to seek a way out – and admitted to officials he may belong in prison, but would be happy to serve time anywhere but Kurdistan.
Muslim convert nicknamed Jihadi Jack after travelling to Syria ‘to join ISIS’ pleads with Canada to free him from Kurdish jail, saying: ‘I promise not to blow anyone up with fertiliser’
The British Muslim convert languishing in a Kurdish jail after travelling to Syria and allegedly joining ISIS has pleaded with Canada to help free him – and made jokes about bombs in interviews with officials.
Jack ‘Jihadi Jack’ Letts, 22, from Oxford, is accused of entering ISIS-held territory in September 2014 before joining the terrorist group, and was eventually arrested by Kurdish forces.
Letts, who has dual British-Canadian citizenship, has turned to Canada to seek a way out – and admitted to officials he may belong in prison, but would be happy to serve time anywhere but Kurdistan.
Letts complained of extended spells in solitary confinement, has reportedly tried to hang himself and has made claims he is ‘going insane’.
However, his hopes have now been dealt a crushing blow, with the Canadian government warning that its ability to intervene is ‘extremely limited’.
Talking to Canadian consular officials in January, Letts begged them to rescue him from his Kurdish prison. In a transcript of the conversation seen by Canadian media, he said: ‘Please get me out of this place.’
Letts also made clear he was pinning his hopes for escape on Canada. He was asked: ‘If it would be possible, would you like to come to Canada? Back to the UK?’
‘I want to live a normal life. I want to come to Canada,’ Letts replied. He even made some ill-advised jokes, the transcript suggests.
‘I promise not to blow anyone up with fertaliser [sic] or however they do it,’ he wrote, adding ‘that was a joke.’
‘Obviously I’m not going to blow anyone up,’ he said. Letts then admitted he had made mistakes and that ‘probably prison is good for me… just not here’.
The alleged jihadi was born and educated in Oxford, and converted to Islam as a teenager after dropping out of school, after which he started learning Arabic.
His parents, who are currently on trial charged with funding terrorism after sending him more than £1,700, have denied allegations he joined ISIS and say he is innocent.
Canada’s Liberal government has been slammed by the leader of the opposition, Conservative Andrew Scheer, for ‘proactively’ reaching out to Letts.
A spokesman for Global Affairs Canada: ‘We are aware of Canadian citizens being detained in Syria.
‘Given the security situation on the ground, the government of Canada’s ability to provide consular assistance in any part of Syria is extremely limited.
‘The government of Canada is engaged in these cases and is providing assistance, to the limited extent possible.
‘Canadian diplomats have established a communications channel with local Kurdish authorities in order to verify the whereabouts and well-being of Canadian citizens.
‘Reports of an agreement concerning the repatriation of Canadian citizens from Syria are false.’
The spokesman added that it would be ‘extremely difficult’ for Canadians detained in Syria to leave and said they would likely be detained in neighbouring countries if they did.
Source: Daily Mail
