Two Islamic-State linked Australian women charged with crimes against humanity
Three Australian women with links to the Islamic State (IS) group have been formally charged after returning home from Syria.
Kawsar Ahmad, 53, and his daughter Zeinab Ahmad, 31, appeared in a Melbourne court on Friday, less than 24 hours after they were arrested and detained at the airport.
Kawsar Ahmad was charged by police with four charges of crimes against humanity for allegedly traveling to Syria in 2014 and keeping a female slave in his home. Zeinab Ahmad faces two similar charges.
In Sydney, 32-year-old Janai Safar is also expected to appear in court for allegedly entering and staying in a declared conflict zone and joining ISIS. He was charged after arriving in Sydney with his son on Thursday.
Australian Federal Police (AFP) allege Kawsar Ahmad traveled to Syria with her husband and children in 2014 and was complicit in the purchase of a female slave for US$10,000 and “knowingly kept the woman at home”.
Police allege that Zeinab Ahmad also went to Syria with her family in 2014 and knowingly kept a female slave at home. These charges carry a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
The couple appeared in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday and were remanded in custody until Monday, when their lawyers said they would apply for bail. None of them had to speak during the short hearing.
Another of Kawsar Ahmad’s adult children, Zahra Ahmad, also arrived in Melbourne on Thursday but was not taken into custody.
Police allege Safar traveled to Syria in 2015 to join her husband, who had previously left Australia and joined ISIS.
He is also accused of being a member of a terrorist organization. The maximum penalty for both crimes is up to 10 years in prison.
AFP Deputy Counter-Terrorism Commissioner Stephen Nutt said police were “investigating all Australians traveling to declared conflict zones and will ensure that those alleged to have committed crimes are brought to justice”.
“This remains an active investigation into very serious allegations,” he said.
Three women arrested on Thursday They were part of a group of four women and nine children who arrived in Australia on Thursday.
They are part of a larger group of 34 Australian women and children who have been living in Al Roj camp in Syria since 2019.
The group left the camp in February with the intention of returning to Australia, but returned to camp for “technical reasons” The Australian government refuses to offer them any assistance.
A member of the cohort Banned from returning to Australia At the beginning of this year, the government issued a “temporary restraining order”; This meant that the person could not return for up to two years.
There were chaotic scenes at Melbourne airport on Thursday evening as the only woman who had not been arrested emerged from the arrivals hall.
A group of about 15 people, mostly dressed in black, gathered around her and the children to hide their faces from the waiting media pack.
