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27 Facts About Jack Letts

1.

Jack Abraham Letts was born on 14 November 1995 and is a Canadian Muslim convert, formerly of dual British-Canadian nationality, who has been accused of being a member of the Islamic State.

2.

Jack Letts was given the nickname Jihadi Jack by the British media.

3.

Jack Letts converted to Islam and was said by his parents to have developed severe obsessive-compulsive disorder.

4.

Jack Letts attended various local mosques and learned Arabic in order to read the Quran.

5.

Jack Letts said that he travelled to Kuwait in May 2014 and to Syria in September of that same year.

6.

Media interest in Jack Letts began in January 2016, when journalist Richard Kerbaj of The Sunday Times accused him of joining IS, a claim Jack Letts and his parents said was untrue.

7.

In June 2016, Jack Letts stated that his journey to the Middle East was part of his "search for truth", and denied ever having been a member of IS.

8.

Jack Letts denied claims that he adopted the name Abu Mohammed while in the Middle East.

9.

Jack Letts said, "that doesn't mean I am with you, the dirty non-Muslims".

10.

On 7 May 2017, Jack Letts stated that he hated IS "more than the Americans hate them".

11.

Jack Letts has claimed that he was imprisoned by IS on three occasions, and lived in hiding with others who stood against IS inside Raqqa.

12.

Jack Letts shared a photograph of himself in 2015 performing a Muslim one-finger salute with Mosul Dam in the background.

13.

Mr Scheer confidently claimed that Jack Letts is 'a known jihadi fighter'.

14.

Jack Letts was detained by the Kurdish YPG militia after trying to escape from the Battle of Raqqa.

15.

Jack Letts stated he was detained while seeking to escape IS-held territory.

16.

Jack Letts initially told the BBC: "I don't want anyone to help me", but later requested help returning to the UK, and said he was happy to be arrested and put on trial for any crime the police claim he has committed.

17.

In October 2017, Jack Letts' parents staged a seven-day hunger strike to bring attention to his case.

18.

On 10 November 2017, they launched a petition to "Secure the release of Jack Letts who is detained in northern Syria".

19.

Under Canadian nationality law, Jack Letts holds Canadian citizenship via his Canadian-born father.

20.

In January 2018, Canadian diplomatic officials reportedly spoke to Jack Letts, who asked them to allow him to come to Canada.

21.

In October 2018, Canadian consular assistance for Jack Letts stalled, due to mounting pressure from both the Conservative opposition and the British government.

22.

On 22 February 2018, ITV News published an "exclusive" interview with Jack Letts, who was under detention by Kurdish officials.

23.

Jack Letts mentioned that he would prefer if the two women who were in a similar situation at that time would be prioritised over his own case.

24.

On 9 June 2016, Jack Letts's parents appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court, charged with funding terrorism.

25.

Jack Letts's parents have been campaigning for their son's release ever since.

26.

In March 2024, the legal team retained by Jack Letts's parents took the rare step of seeking a reconsideration and full hearing before the Supreme Court of Canada against a decision by the Federal Court of Appeal that International Law does not obligate Canada to repatriate him.

27.

Jack Letts said he made it obvious to militants at the time that "if there was a battle, I'm ready", but that he now believes suicide attacks are forbidden in Islamic law.