Australian mother, daughter face court over Islamic State slavery charges

Kawsar Ahmad, 53, and her daughter, Zeinab Ahmad, 31, have faced a Melbourne court on staggering allegations they bought and enslaved a Yazidi woman while living in Islamic State territory in Syria.

According to reports from The Guardian, Kawsar Ahmad, also known as Abbas, and her daughter Zeinab Ahmad were dramatically arrested by officers from the Victorian joint counter-terrorism team upon their arrival at Melbourne airport. A third woman was also arrested in Sydney on separate terror charges.

Police allege the pair travelled to Syria with their family in 2014. It is claimed that Kawsar was complicit in the buying of an enslaved woman for US$10,000, and that both women knowingly kept the enslaved person in their home.

The charges are exceptionally serious, with the slavery offences classified as crimes against humanity under Australian law. If found guilty, they could face a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison.

The pair appeared before Chief Magistrate Lisa Hannan on Monday but did not apply for bail as had been previously expected. Zeinab is expected to apply for bail on 4 June, with Kawsar's application expected on 16 June, the court heard.

Peter Morrissey SC, representing Kawsar, told the court he expected that "other issues" would arise during Zeinab's application. He explained how they were handled would inform the bail bid made by his client.

Neither woman was required to speak or enter a plea during the brief hearing before they were remanded in custody. The Australian Federal Police have signalled they will oppose bail, alleging the offences are terrorism-related.

For those unversed, the charges are rooted in the systematic persecution of the Yazidi religious minority by the Islamic State. In 2014, IS launched a brutal campaign against the Yazidi community in northern Iraq, leading to mass killings and the enslavement of thousands of women and children.

Court documents, released to the media, reveal Kawsar is accused of intentionally exercising "any or all of the powers attaching to the right of ownership" over a person. The alleged conduct was committed "as part of a widespread or systemic attack directed against a civilian population".

The offences allegedly occurred between June 2017 and November 2018 at Mayadin, Hajim, Gharanij, Bahra and other places in Syria's Deir ez-Zur province.

'Zero sympathy' for parents

The repatriation and arrests have been met with a firm response from the Australian government. The women and children had been held in the Roj camp in northeastern Syria, where humanitarian conditions have been described as "inhuman" and "life-threatening".

Despite the grim conditions of the camps, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made his feelings on the matter clear.

"I have absolutely zero sympathy for the parents," the Prime Minister stated, while expressing concern for the nine repatriated children. He described them as "victims of decisions that their parents have made."

The case highlights the complex challenge of prosecuting crimes from conflict zones, as gathering evidence to a standard required in Western courts is often difficult.