Woman back in NL after ISIS escape; arrested on Schiphol

Laura H., a 20-year-old Dutch woman who claims to have escaped from terrorist group ISIS, is back in the Netherlands. She landed on Schiphol on Monday night and was immediately arrested, the Public Prosecutor announced.

Arresting someone returning from an ISIS-area is standard procedure in the Netherlands. H. is suspected of participation in a terrorist organization in Syria or Iraq between 1 September 2015 and 12 July 2016. According to the Prosecutor, H. is being questioned. The decision on whether or not she will be prosecuted will be based on this questioning.

Her two children returned to the Netherlands with her. They were placed with a foster family, according to the Prosecutor, in "good consultation" with the suspect's family.

The young Dutch woman disappeared with her 27-year-old husband and two very young children around September 19th last year. About three weeks ago she suddenly resurfaced on Kurdish television, broadcast from Erbil in Northern Iraq. She told the station that she and her children escaped from ISIS with the help of Kurdish fighter. And that her husband tricked her into going to Raqqa.

She made contact with the Dutch consulate in Erbil last week and asked for help in returning to the Netherlands.