27 Jul 2021

Alleged terrorist faces years of rehab, control on return to NZ

From First Up, 5:34 am on 27 July 2021

An alleged terrorist will likely face years of rehabilitation and strict controls when she is repatriated to New Zealand with her two young children. Suhayra (sah-high-rah) Aden (aye-din) is currently in detention in Turkey after illegally trying to cross the border from Syria, with Turkey's government designating her an Islamic State terrorist. Aden had dual New Zealand-Australian citizenship and spent most of her life in Australia, but Scott Morrison's government revoked her citizenship, sparking a tense trans-Tasman stoush. Yesterday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said it now falls on New Zealand to take the family in, particularly given that two children are involved. Our producer Matthew Theunissen spoke to legal and terrorism experts about what will happen when she is brought here- to a country she has barely called home.