Additional Coverage:
- 3 Australian women back from Syria face slavery and terrorism charges over alleged IS links (apnews.com)
Three Australian Women Denied Bail on Charges Linked to Islamic State Ties After Return from Syria
MELBOURNE – Three Australian women appeared in court Friday facing serious charges related to slavery and terrorism following their recent return from Syria. Authorities allege these women, along with ten others, have connections to the Islamic State group.
The group, including four women and nine children, arrived on two flights from Doha despite clear warnings from the Australian government that they would face prosecution upon their return. The women had been residing for several years at Roj camp, located in the Syrian desert, which houses displaced families from former ISIS-controlled territories.
Among those charged are Kawsar Abbas, 53, and her daughter Zeinab Ahmed, 31, who appeared in a Melbourne court. Police allege the family purchased a Yazidi female slave for $10,000 during their time in Syria.
Abbas faces four counts of crimes against humanity, while her daughter faces two counts of slavery-related offenses-each charge carrying a potential sentence of up to 25 years. Both women were detained by Kurdish forces in 2019 and have since been held at Roj camp.
Another woman, Janai Safar, 32, was arrested upon landing at Sydney Airport and charged with membership in a terrorist organization and entering or remaining in a terrorist-controlled area. These charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Appearing via video link at a Sydney court, Safar’s request for bail was denied despite her lawyer’s plea citing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affecting both Safar and her 9-year-old son.
Authorities claim Safar traveled to Syria in 2015 following her partner, an IS fighter who died in 2017, and had a child there. Australian law prohibited travel to the IS stronghold of Raqqa without legitimate reasons from 2014 to 2017.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed a clear stance on the issue, showing sympathy for the children but none for the parents involved. “I have absolutely zero sympathy for these people,” Albanese stated, emphasizing that while the children deserve support due to the traumas endured, the parents cannot expect government assistance.
Currently, 21 other Australian women and children remain in Roj camp. Supporters have indicated plans to repatriate them in the coming weeks.
Notably, one woman is subject to a temporary exclusion order banning her from returning to Australia for up to two years-a measure introduced in 2019 to prevent high-risk individuals from re-entering the country. This represents the first public use of such an order.
While exclusion orders cannot be applied to children under 14, Australian authorities have ruled out separating children from their mothers during repatriation efforts.
Australia has previously repatriated women and children from Syrian camps on two occasions, with some individuals returning independently without government aid. The ongoing investigations into Australians’ alleged involvement in atrocities committed in Syria continue to unfold as authorities navigate the complex legal and humanitarian challenges posed by these returns.