Australian women accused of slavery in Islamic State territory in Syria face Melbourne court | Australian security and counter-terrorism
Two Australian women accused of slavery crimes that allegedly occurred while they lived under Islamic State rule in Syria have faced a trial in Melbourne.
Kawsar Ahmad, 53, also known as Abbas, and his daughter Zeinab Ahmad, 31, were arrested by officers from Victoria’s joint counter-terrorism squad at Melbourne airport on Thursday.
Police allege that the duo traveled to Syria with their families in 2014 and knowingly kept an enslaved woman in their home, and that Kawsar was complicit in purchasing the enslaved woman for US$10,000.
The pair appeared before chief magistrate Lisa Hannan on Monday.
But Melbourne magistrates’ court heard on Friday they would not apply for bail as anticipated.
The court heard Zeinab is expected to apply for bail at a hearing on June 4, while Kawsar’s application is expected on June 16.
Peter Morrissey SC, for Kawsar, told the court he expected “further issues” to arise during Zeinab’s application and how they were addressed would determine the bail bid made by his client.
Neither woman was required to speak or defend herself during the brief hearing before she was taken into custody.
Australian federal police will claim the crimes are terrorism-related and are expected to oppose bail.
Court documents released to the media on Friday show Kawsar is accused of deliberately exercising “any or all of the powers relating to the right of property” over a person where “the conduct was committed intentionally or knowingly as part of a widespread or systematic attack on the civilian population.”
He is also accused of “intentionally exercising the powers of the right of property” regarding the use and possession of slaves. Zeinab also faces the same two charges.
The crimes allegedly occurred between June 1, 2017 and November 1, 2018 in Mayadin, Hajim, Gharanij, Bahra, Abu Hamam, Walaa and other places in Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor province.
Kawsar Ahmad is also accused of intentionally engaging in slave trade on or about June 1, 2017, in Mayadin or elsewhere in the same province.
