66 years mike. Isnt quite some 1000 joe that so for the best of him, do i didnt want to cry. Ah, i know its the last time i promise. Oh, january 2021. Mike messing has come to the city of cause willa in western germany, because the federal court of justice is going to announce its decision. Well his daughter remain in custody, or will she be released . A few hours later, our weight comes to an end. The woman in the black coat is land nova messing at 21, she stands accused of being a member of the Islamic State. Her father, mike has been fighting for the last 6 years for his leo. Now shes free. That least until her upcoming trial. Yeah, no. Hm. The thing has no way. Oh oh, for missing. Hello mrs. Missing. Shes in the go. The model of the hello. Im coming home she ah, this is the story of a father and his daughter a story that ive accompanied for 7 years, one that would take me to syria, a country torn apart by civil war. Veterans can join, child would rather go join terrorists than stay with you and even think its cool. One to one of the most brutal terrorist groups of our time is less lamb was an in trend, a fight between life and death. You have to leave as fast as an ink. Hello or are they . I am waiting please. Papa, please. Well, an assyrian prison camp da da. I was very afraid just what i caught a vanity on my head, the 70000. 00 still up and back to a village in eastern germany. Ah, youve been here. Your goodness, wilsonville. We could have become the most terrible things together. We fought 6 years to get her back foot, and we couldnt handle 6 weeks of living under one roof together. And im going to go its a story about guilt. And 2nd chances this is where it all began. But i hadnt been in saxony, unheard of germany in 2015 land ohio, her father mike messing. Were living a seemingly happy life at 15, let her know how was a typical teenager. Her parents had separated some years earlier. Her father, mike, who ran a bakery, had recently re married land. No house seemed on the outside, like a happy girl interested in boys and cosmetics. She even ran a Youtube Channel with makeup tips harlem, i mean, hello friends, and welcome to my latest video. Like i today, i got my march favorite tips in the beauty department. Does this, this is number. 07. From a sense which looks like theyll off. Unbeknownst to her family, lenovo had converted to islam and become radicalized a year earlier than one day, she just disappeared. Lena had left for syria, a different world, a war torn country under control of the Islamic State. For an agonizing 12 days, mike heard nothing from lenovo. Then finally, in march 2015, a voice message. Mike couldnt know then that his cellphone would soon become the only tenuous link to his daughter. Hope i fizzle. Hi peppa. Im trying to send you a voice message. Hope it reaches you quickly, emma. And me, im doing really well. We have a really big apartment here. I decorated everything in purple as well as from them up. We dont have couches here, but these hose use that on the wall is ok. Im also sending you photos of the present. He gave me on my shank funny gold heathclay become leonor. Had told of her wedding at just 15. She had married and his law make state fighter here the official wedding photo leonora, one of his 3 new brides. The of one done 5. We were married by the i s and on his us know quite a had us go into the room briefly and give them a thumbprint on down a took him the and just like that we were married on get bought. Oh and the bridal get like they asked us what we wanted as our gift. In my case it was a gold necklace and bracelet captain. Good on month. Then they said, congratulations, youre married on his head. Singer lunch is on file, out of vanish, or it was unpleasant. We didnt even know each other. Yeah. Yeah, wed written each other. If you authorize on whatsapp and things like that, what you cant really get to know someone like that 10. And then her husband, ne hug, also came from eastern germany. His real name is martine lenika. He left for syria about 6 months before lenovo and had become an Intelligence Officer for the Islamic State. Ah, soon after his daughter vanished, mike contacted a journalist ah, thats where i come in. Folk markovich. Ive been reporting on terrorism for years and spend time in syria and iraq. We hit it off right away. We didnt know it at the time, but there would be many more meetings and conversations like this one in 2015 mostly revolving around one question, why . It was harder for gloss against go kind of trunks. It doesnt dont wrinkle form. She showed us out completely, kept us out of that part of her life. Bitter a young girl voluntarily goes to syria, hasnt been shown ego muslin. He is, she wouldnt even go into the bond because of the markets broke as a World Congress jumped on this, but then she heads off to a civil war where all hell had broken loose, where people arent messing around, associate who castillo in, rocca, the capital of the Islamic State, leon nova encountered the true face of the terrorist militia. She often texted her father about what shed seen this happen right in front of leonor has doorstep. And with these atrocities the i asked was making propaganda on the internet, recruiting new followers and scaring opponents. Now in january 2021, lenovo has left the terror, stayed behind. Shes been released from detention in germany awaiting trial and is headed back to her small village in the 6 years since she left. Shes been through war, terror, imprisonment and the long fight to get back home. So i havent really grasped at all yet, but sitting in a cell like that, you dont see much of the outside world or at your back in germany, woman in your, in jail federal felony. Lenovo still has a long and difficult road ahead of her. Shes being investigated for membership in a terrorist organization. I didnt. Soon after arriving in syria in 2015, leonor has dreams gave way to a grim reality. She found her husband repulsive, the Islamic State to brutal and life as one of 3 wives, fraught with conflict. Im he averted anesha. He never scold me or be the way he hit her. It was he said, even compare the betting and suckling. Theyd say mine werent as bad as her langley either. Once until law cassia eman mister correct voss. We had the impression that her husband was in over his head. Some people might think a 3 wide grazed us, the fido coil, or theyre all people with an aid desires office wishes the interest mention. Bless us. I never heard that from martini that. I was stressful, quite the opposite. He said hed like 3 more. Why . Whats my morning . After 2 months from what we gathered that she realised that her situation there wasnt what she had expected scott. She even said it. Okay, thought said id like to go home and it would be nice if you could do something. Now when than it was and then its helpful to know someone who knows someone who it can deliver to can. Now what mike is referring to are my journalistic contacts traffickers and they had contact with terrorists. But should i a journalist act as a go between after many discussions we decided yes, on the condition that mike make any and all decisions on his own. We met in turkey smuggling, some one out of i asked control territory can be extremely dangerous, particularly for a woman travelling alone at a hotel in the south of turkey, mike met the smugglers. I took a back seat, he handled the negotiations. The person with him. Oh, my meeting with us today. He was clean cut off, well groomed up. He said he had ties to the news for a front to tie. So ill create a more or less miracle video, a kinder sized mike, mike from brighton box in a town of 200. 00 is sitting in a hotel with 2 guys from al qaeda. Ive had a drinking teagle tea and smoking a 100 cigarettes 11 as indefinite if told us theyre definitely terrorists does include just minor bucket aboard real thugs. But i want my daughter back with us can do the home. Ah. Then it begins somewhere in syria. Some men are making their way to rocca. Theyd managed to smuggle people out of the i s capital in the past, and extremely dangerous undertaking. In 2015 rocco was the heart of the Islamic State, fully in the grip of the terror groups. The Security Forces who were constantly on patrol leo, nova sent my car location and photos of the surrounding area. Knowing she could be put to death if she were caught i was just staring at the clock. The minutes go by no words a 20 minute as its through nothings wont touch men. The plans kept falling through each time putting low. No huh. At greater risk. Hello or are they . I keep waiting but no one can eat no one there please look it up above the smugglers made more than 10 attempt to reach her. Either talk are dishonest under a lot. I have the there was an hour, an hour and a half every day pod there just to everything. I had the worry asking and answering questions correctly. Now the fear i, this is hard to describe that kind of tension of come up on the strategic ive done, but they didnt give up. Setting up a meeting at an internet cafe and rocca he shows on his smugglers then did something they hadnt done before by going into the internet cafe on the golf. When we were waiting here. Oh, it was 6 o 1 pm vincent. So to ah, ah 6 otherwise youll be, you didnt go online. And its to you last, hows the dining room or full sources those were going through my head and it was unbearable. Come on, nora, we cant make it any easier for you than this. At 640 she finally came online online with us, all the sled stuff. And that was the last we heard from hipaa finish or you know, the last time she wrote down then nothing days went by with no word from low. No. Huh. Then how deja. Her husband 2nd wife sent a message. Ah oh, it was the news they had been dreading. Mike and the rest of the family had no choice but to believe lenovo was dead killed in a war, not hurt to fight. 3 weeks later, i paid mike a visit this time bringing my camera along. He told me that he tried to get through the days somehow, but he hadnt made it through a night without weeping. Thank him. This thought. A child is dead. And he fails just as i missed you. Sha fast, he failed to get her out of the hospice and she shoved joslet. Ah, the event is bomb frenzel damage. Were going to plant this tree hugging not to bury our child. We cant do that. But to say good bye and well have a place where we can goes, which is symbolically where she will be leaked often, bullish children back then. And in the years that followed, no one would have imagined that leo know how would ever be on her way home. Again, with her family eagerly waiting the day leo know her left home almost exactly 6 years earlier was also a cold snowy day. No vista, thats hard to believe. I am on this road again after 6 years. I could still remember that back then. I thought it might be the last time id ever be on this road. This finished class on the line with no one better to say we cant get anything done here. So right. But unless if there is the church where i was tied, mary. Exactly. Ah. Ah oh man. Soil as a well i wont survive this after 6 years now have a heart attack. I was like, oh oh, we were already at mcdonald. I head. Oh. Oh boy oh you what you think i can manage after 6 years and syria, leonor huh. Is finally home again with mom is momma here. Oh yes, im here. But leonor has returned to normal life wouldnt be as easy as they had expected. Its latin olives or they were all waiting. Is she going to have some sparkling wine or not staying . Oh my grandma, think bad of me if i dont. Well, shes like, im still a radical. Oh no, they really makes you think. Oh man. Yeah. So hey, i took a step in and have them look at it tasted terrible. I hated it. Never again. Neither. Now in 2015, mike had believed his daughter was dead, but the message from syria was a lie, probably to punish mike for the escape attempt. Several weeks would pass before this message arrived. Leonora was alive, but still living under a terrorist regime. Thou la, is la mia . Arabic for Islamic State. Ah, in germany, the familys ordeal continued. Day after day, month after month. Mike wondered how his daughter was doing. And if hed ever see her alive again. As 2015 gave way to 2016 in syria, people were dying every day on all sides with this as to vida that our 1st christmas ne daniels, with at leo homes, mom office. Its a peculiar feeling. Oh, well then we dont have to say it. We just look at each other and we know that then you find yourself with it isnt horizon. Ah, mike and his new wife came to a decision to go on with life one way or another. A new baby was coming a girl 2 years later in 2017 rocca was under attack. Layer know her left, the war torn city soon. The Islamic State last. Kuhn with ah, it would be another 3 years before mike would be reunited with his daughter and meet his granddaughter 2021 back and but i hadnt been leo novas 1st weeks at home didnt go as smoothly as theyd hoped. She often felt overwhelmed and needed help to manage a daily routine, and she was still under criminal investigation. Eventually, she would face terrorism related charges beyond reserve is all she returned, but there was a lot of work to be done to complete elise walk. So she arrived with a huge backpack of experiences and problems. Young london, to indulge, turned on, noncom done, and then she arrived in germany and well with her mother. She was handed another bags hacked, was with another set of problems and young not wydell involved in birth certificates for the children to kindle on Health Insurances i took in the finding daycare up in 4 months in germany. I filled out more paperwork than i had the 6 years in syria, and i arrived here and had to start again from 0. I had to register deal with so many issues. Sometimes everything would depend on a single piece of paper work for p up. Mike had been waiting years to have his daughter back to the family, help lenovo with her appointments with the authorities and the paperwork. But it soon became clear that exchanging voice messages was easier than living under the same roof. After 6 years, they couldnt just pick up where they had left off the current since that the excel is the last 6 years boiled down to this look and all those terrible things. But we were able to deal with them. My experienced them revived them together virtually its really a freshman fruit. I could fly to turkey. No problem of him. That seemed like i dont live in a table with acadia, no problem. The camp we fought for 6 years ago, her return and couldnt manage to spend 6 weeks under the same roof together after one. Ah, there were frequent arguments and misunderstandings. Layer know how was preoccupied, even self absorbed. She was under criminal investigation, had survived trauma and struggled to meet my expectations. After just a few weeks, the situation had escalated, the 2 had completely different ideas of how life together should work. Mike wanted leonor that to take part in family and village life while they are no ha preferred spending hours alone in her bedroom their lives just worn compatible papa kept saying come out of your bedroom with the children come out to the worse it is coming from them and lost food had and i just wasnt interested booked of me a lot. I didnt want to sit around the campfire with people from the village and thats why i couldnt do it. I got fire is contest in it. A go to something had to change the hobby thing online, lied and could eventually i contacted the Youth Welfare office. They said things out working out in 2000 and the welfare office. They said to me, weve been expecting your call for weeks now and what mine is from settling on me, i dont see of only very few you can make it work with that help of guy slept over it, but we wanted you to come to that realization yourself under chanel . Thank mm no no huh. And her daughter moved out to a group home for mothers and their children. Young. Lenovo took part in court, ordered d, radicalization classes 3 times a week. She had to report to the local police with from, ill be right back, im just going to police 3 years earlier, lenovo had very different problems in the fall of 2018. She and her husband and me. Martin were on the run, surrounded by bombings and air raids. The Islamic State was crumbling. And militarily, the regime was on its last legs. I spin see you. Hello papa. Its me leo. Were here in the last village. Theyve surrounded us and all on one street. These land stayed only controls a single street, and thats all ill crowded in here. I know theres no room and were hungry and cannot. The children are freezing via we have to leave in. Theres no future for us here. We dont even have a single dollar turn and so we have nothing, nothing to eat off there. So weve decided to surrender. She moves out so game from, from off to the cindy being, being my phone went b p. Feet, and i knew it meant that radio syria was back on the air with some sort of interesting news. After 4 years, you develop a bit of a hard shell to protect you. So, as swan is quite, was a voice message from martin lemke. And he didnt sound too happy hes unable to needs image to you soon. Hi visas. On a summer, from swanny temperature, an issue among the through the dumbest. She might learn from us with a lot of people with her to the immersion low vision by that a young to have as this is to shows her teaching only home isnt on. Come on love america until suddenly the person whos been trying to ruin your life for years, contacts you whining to help me. Me, me, me, me, me a 1st year taken aback. What is this is and assets will go from dallas and then it creates, then you realize hes really in trouble. Now click on the loss of an sink is caught also in the us. That means you think to yourself and in early 2019 more than 40000 people. From the last remaining i asked territory surrendered lay. I know her messing was one of them nearly 4 years after leaving germany, she found herself in the syrian desert. The images from a news agency went around the world of because i, i was my own my own nice big long time ago. And no, i know that was in the oh for her father at home in brighton. Bah, it was the news he had been waiting years to hear. Oh, as a soul, i basically slept through it through. Id be hoping for this for years and vince ceaseless, her niche market that was pretty go to bed, get up and find the problem. Had disappeared after me on the way to work and suddenly sunk in on the north. An auto got out of the car and throw it up and we thought yes, great, this is full by its over. Lenovo was brought to the unholy prison camp in Northern Syria housing up to 90000 people. The camp was under the control of syrian kurds. A huge tented prison in the middle of the desert stack, man, ill call it out to myself. How that can be . There must be lots of women whove left ins already here. Form you down on that. When i arrived, i saw every one dressed in black. I look from head to toe.