Some women returning from Syria are being investigated for involvement in terrorist groups

Kosovo Police and Prosecutors have begun interviewing some women who returned from Syria on Saturday morning, allegedly participating in terrorist groups.

On Saturday morning, Kosovo authorities assisted by the United States have returned 110 people from war zones to Syria, 74 children, 32 women and 4 adults suspected of being fighters.

Lawyer Fehmije Gashi Bytyqi has come to the Centre for Keeping Foreigners in the village of Vranidol near Pristina to protect a woman who allegedly participated in a terrorist organisation in Syria, and whose husband is still standing in the war zone in Syria.

Kosovo's “Police, through the Council of Lawyers, have invited me on official duty to protect a woman who allegedly participated in terrorist groups in Syria. The lady I defended was a very poor mother of four. Furthermore, what the Kosovo Special Prosecutor does, I don't know because it is a challenge even for Kosovo's own institutions because now these are all but suspects on the other side, for example my protected mother of four,” said lawyer Gashi-Bytyqi.

Currently, all returnees are undergoing medical examinations and are not yet known when they will be released.

Of the returnees are four militants who are currently in custody as suspects of participation in terrorist organisations.

Niile Arifi from Pristina came to the centre with her family to visit her wife and five children of her brother who died in war zones in Syria three and a half years ago. In a conversation for Radio Free Europe, she said she has not seen her family for five and a half years.

We are here to see the children of our brother and his wife. We met Elhamdulal. They're fine. They're waiting. I also thank those who have been waiting for them. We haven't seen them in five and a half years. Their condition is fine, even though a brother's child had broken his leg, but these others are fine, they're well,” said Arifi.

Nailla is just one of many family members who come to visit their relatives staying in the center. Their visits usually last only a few minutes.

According to the Kosovo Police, there are still about 30 fighters, 49 women and eight children in Syria who are of Kosovo citizenship. Since 2012, about 400 people from Kosovo have joined the so-called Islamic State.