IS-linked Australian women charged with slavery and terrorism offences after return from Syria

By Yolaine De Kerchove Dexaerde

Published on 08/05/2026 - 10:41 GMT+2

Three Australian women were denied bail after appearing in court on Friday on charges including slavery and terrorism, following their return from Syria alongside others linked by police to the Islamic State group.

The women were among a group of four women and nine children repatriated from the Roj camp in northeastern Syria, where they had been held for years. They arrived in Australia on Thursday despite government warnings they could face prosecution.

In Melbourne, 53-year-old Kawsar Abbas and her 31-year-old daughter Zeinab Ahmed were charged over allegations they purchased a Yazidi woman as a slave for $10,000. Abbas faces four counts of crimes against humanity, while Ahmed is charged with two slavery offences, each carrying potential sentences of up to 25 years.

In Sydney, Janai Safar, 32, was charged with being a member of a terrorist organisation and entering a region controlled by such a group. A judge denied her bail after her lawyer argued for release on exceptional grounds, citing her child’s situation.

Police allege the women travelled to Syria between 2014 and 2015 during the height of Islamic State’s so-called caliphate. They were later detained by Kurdish forces and held in Roj camp, which houses mostly women and children displaced from former IS-controlled areas.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he had “zero sympathy” for the women but expressed concern for the children, describing them as victims of their parents’ decisions.

Authorities continue to investigate Australians’ alleged involvement in crimes committed in Syria, while more than 20 Australian women and children remain in the camp awaiting possible repatriation.

Video editor • Yolaine De Kerchove Dexaerde

Additional sources • AP, AFP