Jack Letts’ parents in Oxford campaign to free him from Syrian jail

Organic farmer John Letts, 58, and former Oxfam fundraising officer Sally Lane, 57, refused to believe their 18-year-old son Jack had become a dangerous extremist when they allowed him to travel, the Old Bailey heard last month.

The couple from Oxford ignored repeated warnings he had joined Islamic State in Syria and sent - or tried to send - a total of £1,723 for him, despite being told by police three times not to.

They were each sentenced to 15 months in prison, suspended for 12 months, at the Old Bailey in London.

Now, following the trial, they have told The Observer they will not be able to get their lives back on track until their son, a former pupil of Cherwell School, was freed. He is currently in a Syrian prison camp where he has been held for two years without trial.

Ms Lane said they could not get their lives back on track until Jack was safe.

She added: “I hope that is not long. There was an Italian handed over to the Italian government this week.”

Mr Letts said: “Jack has become the most politicised figure of any of the detainees. Obviously (the authorities) would probably most like him to ‘fall down the stairs’.

“But we are not going to go away. I am hoping if we raise enough pressure, he becomes such a pain in the ass for everyone that they will hand him over too.”

The court heard last month how Jack Letts, left the family home in May 2014 and embarked on what his parents saw as a ‘grand adventure’ to learn Arabic in Jordan.

From Jordan, Jack Letts, labelled 'Jihadi Jack' by The Sunday Times, moved to Kuwait and married the daughter of a tribal elder, in Iraq before travelling on to Syria.

Mr Letts and Ms Lane said the time consumed by the legal battle has left them in a ‘deep financial hole’.

Ms Lane has had to move jobs on a number of occasions.