Germany’s Green Party: We accept return of Daesh fighters from Syria

Head of Germany’s Green Party Katrin Göring-Eckardt said yesterday that her party accepts the return of German fighters from Syria if they go through legal process, DPA reported.

Göring-Eckardt said that there should not be a new Guantanamo, noting that dealing with Daesh fighters has many requirements which will put challenges ahead of the German judicial system.

“The German government should take up these responsibilities and prepare for returning the [German] citizens who are accused of committing crimes and sending them to courts,” she was reported as saying.

On Saturday, US President Donald Trump tweeted: “The U.S. does not want to watch as these ISIS [Daesh] fighters permeate Europe, which is where they are expected to go. We do so much, and spend so much – Time for others to step up and do the job that they are so capable of doing. We are pulling back after 100% Caliphate victory!”

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In another tweet, he wrote: “The United States is asking Britain, France, Germany and other European allies to take back over 800 ISIS fighters that we captured in Syria and put them on trial. The Caliphate is ready to fall. The alternative is not a good one in that we will be forced to release them.”

DPA said that the prisoners are held by the Kurds, not the American forces.

According to the Guardian newspaper, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that repatriation would be possible only if returning fighters could be immediately taken into custody, which would be “extremely difficult to achieve” without proper judicial information.

“German citizens have the right to return,” Maas added, and some women and children are “humanitarian cases”.

But in the case of alleged jihadists, the Guardian also reported, it can only be possible “if it is ensured that they can immediately be detained”, which needs “information, investigations, which are not in place.”