NHK World [企画・演出・コーディネート] Asia Insight
Returning from ISIL: Kazakhstan

NHK World 2020.02.14 10:30 – 11:00 / 16:30 – 17:00 / 19:30 – 20:00 / 28:30 – 29:00 (JST)

In 2017, the militant group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) was all but defeated by international forces in Syria. Its membership had included over 40,000 people from 110 different countries, and their repatriation became a major issue. In 2019, Kazakhstan became one of the first countries to begin repatriating its citizens. It has now returned over 600 people to Kazakh soil. The male fighters remain imprisoned, while women and children undergo counseling and training at rehabilitation centers near their homes. Hear about how these women came to join ISIL, their life in ISIL – controlled territory, and how they feel now they have returned.