Baladi News
European officials on Monday gave a cold shoulder to a call by US President Donald Trump to take back citizens captured in the fight against Islamic State jihadists in Syria for prosecution back home, the Mail Online wrote Monday.
Concerns rose about the fate of European nationals now being held by Kurdish forces after Trump shocked his coalition allies in December by announcing the withdrawal of American troops from Syria.
Trump tweeted on Sunday that Washington was "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".
But EU nations say any captured fighters and their family members should be prosecuted for alleged crimes where they occurred, and that would mean Syria and Iraq, according to Mail Online.
In London, Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman said the IS foreign fighters should be tried where they are captured.
"Where possible, this should be in the region where the crimes had been committed," the spokesman said.
In Berlin, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told ARD television it would be "extremely difficult" to organise the fighters' repatriation and eventual prosecution.
A return could be possible only if "we can guarantee that these people can be immediately sent here to appear in court and that they will be detained," he said.
In France, which accounts for the largest number of European jihadists in Syria, Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet said the government would stick to its current policy of dealing with fighters on a case-by-case basis.
Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders told reporters his government had always intended to bring back children under 10 whenever possible, while others would be dealt with on a "case by case" basis.
European Union foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini ruled out any EU involvement in the disputes, saying they are a matter for national governments.
Source: Mail Online.