Judge rules journalists will not have to hand over notes in Shamima Begum case

Authorities in the UK had tried to force several media outlets to give unused notes to counter-terror investigators

Shamima Begum was 15 years old when she ran away from her home in London to join ISIS. Reuters

Anti-terror police have lost a legal bid to seize the notes of journalists who interviewed female ISIS affiliate Shamima Begum.

A judge at the Old Bailey on Wednesday rejected Scotland Yard’s application for an order forcing media organisations to hand over unused notes and footage from interviews with Ms Begum, who travelled to Syria as a teenager in order to join Islamic State.

Joint legal opposition from The Times newspaper, the BBC and Sky News defeated the production order, which was intended to aid a potential prosecution of Ms Begum under the Terrorism Act.

The media organisations argued that their investigative reporting could be compromised if they were forced to hand over the unused material.

The application for a production order was a clear indicator that authorities in the UK are planning a potential prosecution of Ms Begum.

“Given Ms Begum’s current situation, there is no pressing societal need established at this stage to justify making an order,” said Judge Mark Dennis QC.

The judge said it was “almost inevitable” that the material contained information of interest to investigators but he was satisfied with a promise, made by the media, to give the material to independent solicitors to prevent it being lost.

Ms Begum left her home in east London in 2015, travelling to Syria and marrying an Islamic State fighter.

She remains in Syria after having been stripped of her British citizenship by then home secretary Sajid Javed.

Her family are still appealing the decision.

The teenager reappeared in a refugee camp in Syria after being tracked down by The Times.

In an interview, she said that she had lost three children and wanted to return to the UK but did not regret leaving the UK to live under the so-called Islamic State.