France authorities seize passports of suspected jihadists headed for Syria
24 Feb 2015 11:11 PM GMT
Authorities in France seized the passports of six alleged French jihadists who were planning to depart to fight in Syria, the first time this anti-terrorism measure has been used, interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said on Monday.
The ability to seize passports and identity cards of those suspected of imminent departure abroad to wage jihad was one of the key measures of an anti-terrorism bill passed by parliament in November.
“Today these six administrative bans on leaving the country have been signed, another 40 are in preparation,” Cazeneuve told reporters outside the interior ministry.
“We wanted this measure ... because if French people leave to commit actions in Iraq and Syria, upon their return they represent an even greater danger for the national territory and risk committing wide-scale terrorist acts.”
The ability to seize passports and identity cards of those suspected of imminent departure abroad to wage jihad was one of the key measures of an anti-terrorism bill passed by parliament in November.
“Today these six administrative bans on leaving the country have been signed, another 40 are in preparation,” Cazeneuve told reporters outside the interior ministry.
“We wanted this measure ... because if French people leave to commit actions in Iraq and Syria, upon their return they represent an even greater danger for the national territory and risk committing wide-scale terrorist acts.”
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