The Netherlands and Iraq are looking into the option of trying Dutch Jihadis in the Middle Eastern country, the NRC said on Thursday.

The paper said Dutch foreign affairs minister Stef Blok and his Iraqi counterpart Ali Alhakim will talk through the options at today’s UN meeting in New York.

The two ministers have also organised a session with 20 countries in the region and outside who will discuss the issue. Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney will also address the meeting, the NRC said.

Some 20,000 Isis fighters are currently held captive in Iraq, around 1,000 of which come from abroad, including the Netherlands.

Blok told the paper that a deal could be possible. ‘The fact that they are prepared to organised this [meeting] with us shows they are interested,’ he said earlier this week.

The Netherlands, which opposes the death penalty, is in favour of trying jihadis in the region and has refused to bring back any of its fighters.