Isis bride Shamima Begum’s son was “completely innocent”, her family’s lawyer said, as reports confirmed the baby had died in Syria.
Begum’s child, Jarrah, passed away following what appeared to be a lung infection, the BBC reported a local paramedic as saying. A Syrian Democratic Forces spokesman also confirmed the news.
The 19-year-old, who was one of three schoolgirls from Bethnal Green in east London who fled Britain for Syria to join Isis in 2015, is believed to be at a refugee camp in the country after being stripped of her British citizenship.
The Begum family’s lawyer, Tasnime Akunjee, said he had received confirmation that the child, who was only a few weeks old, had died and that Begum’s relatives were devastated upon hearing the news.
“The baby was completely innocent throughout all this,” Akunjee told HuffPost UK.
“Begum and her baby are two different human beings. Shamima Begum carries the burden of her actions but her newborn baby carried no burden whatsoever.
“This baby was born into a political argument and into a moral panic.”
He said that the family had wanted to establish communications with Begum to find out what happened to her baby, adding: “This innocent baby was let down.”
The death marks the third child Begum has lost with two children already having died of malnutrition and disease since she fled Britain to join Isis.
He told HuffPost UK that Begum had been moved to a new area of Syria and was living in a refugee camp: “We know she was living in a tent with a newborn baby in a camp with thousands of other people with very limited medical and food supplies.
“She had lost her food card and was having to look after her baby in these circumstances.
“As a result, we were very concerned about her newborn baby.”
A heavily-pregnant Begum resurfaced at a refugee camp in northern Syria last month and spoke of her desire to return to the UK.
The birth of her son was announced on 17 February.
A fierce national debate erupted on whether Begum should be allowed to return to the UK as Home Secretary Sajid Javid revoked her British citizenship.
Begum’s family had pledged to appeal the decision and wrote to Javid pleading for a safe passage for her baby to come to the UK.
Javid previously confirmed the baby was a British citizen and said he had considered the child’s interest when deciding to revoke Begum’s citizenship.
He added it would be “incredibly difficult” for the government to facilitate the return of a child from Syria.
Javid said: “If it is possible somehow for a British child to be brought to a place where there is a British consular presence, the closest place – it might be Turkey for example – in those circumstances I guess potentially it is possible to arrange for some sort of help with the consent of the parent.”