IS-linked mother and daughter charged with crimes against humanity including slavery face Melbourne court

Lead

Two Australian women appeared in a Melbourne court on Friday facing charges of crimes against humanity, including slavery, after returning from Syria. Kawsar Abbas, 53, and her daughter Zeinab Ahmad, 31, were arrested at Melbourne airport on Thursday, as reported by multiple sources including the BBC and The Guardian.

The charges against Abbas include enslavement, possessing a slave, using a slave, and engaging in slave trading. Ahmad faces charges of enslavement and using a slave, according to the Australian Federal Police (AFP). A third woman, Janai Safar, 32, was charged in Sydney with entering a declared conflict zone and joining a terrorist organisation.

The women are part of a larger cohort of 34 Australian women and children who had been living at the al-Roj camp in Syria, as reported by the BBC.

Coverage Comparison

The cases have drawn coverage from ABC Australia, BBC, and The Guardian, each offering slightly different details but consistent in their core facts. ABC highlighted the international context, noting that these prosecutions are part of a broader global effort to hold women accountable for their alleged roles in IS's enslavement system. BBC reported that the women are part of a larger group of returnees and detailed the specific charges and potential penalties. The Guardian provided additional details about the arrests and the third woman's charges.

All three sources reported that the women returned from Syria earlier this month and were arrested at Melbourne airport, though BBC mentioned that Safar was arrested in Sydney after landing with her son.

Key Claims

• Police allege that Abbas travelled to Syria in 2014 with her husband and children, and was complicit in the purchase of a female slave for US$10,000, "and knowingly kept the woman in the home," as reported by the BBC and The Guardian.
• Ahmad also travelled to Syria in 2014 and allegedly knowingly kept a female slave in the home, according to police statements cited by both BBC and The Guardian.
• Safar, according to police cited by The Guardian, travelled to Syria in 2015 to join her husband, who had previously left Australia and joined IS.
• The enslavement offences carry a maximum penalty of 25 years' imprisonment, as stated by multiple sources.
• Charges for entering a conflict zone and joining a terrorist organisation carry maximum penalties of up to 10 years' imprisonment, according to the BBC.

Perspectives

Australian authorities, through the AFP, have emphasised the seriousness of the allegations and the ongoing investigation. Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt said police are investigating all Australians who travelled to declared conflict areas and will ensure those alleged to have committed crimes are brought before the courts, as quoted by the BBC.

The legal proceedings are in early stages, with neither woman required to enter a plea during Friday's hearing. They will apply for bail on Monday, and the AFP is expected to oppose bail, according to The Guardian.

The broader international context, as noted by ABC, includes Germany's first prosecutions over IS crimes against Yazidis in 2021, and similar cases in the Netherlands, Sweden, and France. These efforts aim to address the roles some women played in facilitating and enforcing IS's system of enslavement.

The magistrate described the charges as "unusual" and noted that the attorney general had been required to consent to them being laid, as reported by The Guardian.

As the legal process unfolds, these cases are expected to draw continued attention both in Australia and internationally, as they test the application of crimes-against-humanity charges to returnees from conflict zones.