The wives and children of French extremists captured by Kurdish forces in Syria have filed a legal complaint against French authorities for refusing to repatriate them, their lawyers announced Wednesday. The lawyers argue that France has a duty to repatriate its citizens. "These women who went out there are the object of legal proceedings in France," lawyers Marie Dose, William Bourdon, Martin Pradel and Marc Bailly said in a statement, according to Agence France Presse. "They accept that they must face up to their criminal responsibilities as soon as they arrive on French territory."  By leaving them there, French authorities are "additionally exposing these mothers and children to obvious risks -- notably in terms of their health, in a warzone."  A source close to the case said that there are some 40 captured extremists -- men and women, accompanied by around 20 children. The vast majority is being held by Kurdish forces in Syria, according to the source.