Zahera Tariq

Last updated
Zahera Tariq
Born1982 (age 40–41)
London, UK [1]
Criminal statusReleased
Criminal charge Child abduction
PenaltyThree years' imprisonment

Zahera Tariq (born 1982) is a British woman who is notable for being jailed for abducting her four children in the process of attempting to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State terrorist group. [2] [3] [4] [1] [5] Tariq's disappearance from her home in Walthamstow, London with her four children made headlines in August 2015, [6] [7] [8] [9] and the chase to find her received international attention. [10] [11] [4] She also gained wider attention for being the sister-in-law of Siddhartha Dhar, an ISIS executioner known as 'Jihadi Sid'. [12] [4] [1]

Biography

Tariq was noted for being the sister-in-law of Siddhartha Dhar, a British-born ISIS executioner who often fronted public Islamic State killing videos and who was regarded as a key ISIS leader. [12] [4] [2] He would later be shown in an ISIS video murdering five hostages in January 2016. [13] When Tariq disappeared from Walthamstow, London with her four children it made headlines in August 2015, [6] [7] [8] [9] and there was international attention on the subsequent manhunt. [10] [14] [4] Tariq was arrested in a Turkish border town attempting to cross into Syria with her four children and brought back to the UK, where she was jailed for three years for child abduction. [2] [3] [4] [1] [5] [12] Her children were between the ages of five and thirteen. [5] It is believed Tariq was trying to join her executioner brother-in-law, forcing her children to join them. [2] Her sister Aisha, wife of "Jihadi Sid", had already travelled to Syria to join her husband after he murdered several people. [4] [12]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "'Sister-In-Law' Of Jihadi Sid Jailed For Trying To Take Her Children To Syria". Huffington Post. 23 February 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Gardham, Duncan (24 February 2016). "Mother jailed after 'trying to join Isis killer'". The Times. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  3. 1 2 Hooper, Ryan (23 February 2016). "Mother stopped in Turkey while trying to take her four children to Syria has been jailed". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Sister-in-law of new Jihadi John suspect jailed for child abduction". The Telegraph. 23 February 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 "Mother jailed for trying to smuggle her four children into Syria". Your Local Guardian. 23 February 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  6. 1 2 "Walthamstow mother and children 'believed to be Syria-bound'". BBC News. 29 August 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  7. 1 2 "Police hunt London woman feared to be heading for Syria with her four children". The Guardian. 29 August 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Police hunt for missing mother and children bound for Syria". Channel 4 News. 29 August 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  9. 1 2 "Neighbour's shock at missing Walthamstow family believed to be Syria-bound". BBC News. 29 August 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  10. 1 2 "British Family, Feared Headed for Syria, Detained in Turkey: Counterterror Officials". NBC News. 1 September 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  11. ↑ "Freedom of Movement Tests Continental Unity". New York Times. 4 September 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "Sister-in-law of 'Jihadi Sid' jailed for child abduction after taking her four children to Syria". Evening Standard. 23 February 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  13. ↑ "Mother jailed for trying to smuggle her four children into Syria". This is Local London. 23 February 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  14. ↑ "Freedom of Movement Tests Continental Unity". New York Times. 4 September 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
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