Parents of detained ‘Jihadi Jack’ in Syria blame UK of not helping

The parents of Jack Letts, a British national in detention by Kurdish forces in Syria, have accused the Foreign Office of being “completely obstructive”, the Guardian reported.

Letts, dubbed “Jihadi Jack” by the media, left for Syria in 2014 allegedly joining Daesh in Syria. He was arrested by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units after leaving Daesh controlled territory.

Since then, Jack’s parents have tried contacting the Foreign Office for assistance in releasing their son. The parents claim that Jack has “mental health issues” and are worried about his well-being.

“The foreign offices have been completely obstructive. We have been sent four identical letters saying that they can’t do anything,” Jack’s mother said.

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“It seems absurd that we, as ordinary individuals, who don’t have any of the machinery of government to help us, can establish our own contacts with Kurdish officials, and the government itself are unable to do so,” Jack’s mother continued.

Jack’s parents sent him money from the UK to Syria, which has landed them a potential offence for funding terrorism in UK courts. The trial is pending shortly and the parents deny the charges of funding terrorism.

Jack has been in Kurdish custody since May, and it is uncertain what may happen to him.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests. Since then, more than 250,000 people have been killed and in excess of ten million displaced, according to the UN.

The British government officially cut ties with the Syrian regime in 2012.