Australian woman faces slavery charges over ISIS-linked allegations
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – An Australian woman accused of supporting the Islamic State (ISIS) group on Thursday appeared before a court in Melbourne, where prosecutors alleged she lived in a household that held a teenage girl in slavery while the victim was subjected to repeated abuse.
Zeinab Ahmad, 31, is seeking bail after being charged in May with offenses related to enslavement and the use of a slave, according to Australian authorities.
Australian Federal Police told the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court that Ahmad traveled from Melbourne to Turkey with her husband, Dawod, in November 2014. Although she reportedly told migration officials she intended to remain in Turkey for seven months, investigators allege the couple later moved to Syria in January 2015.
According to court testimony, Dawod joined ISIS and was killed in a drone strike in Syria in May 2016. Prosecutors alleged that Ahmad later posted messages on social media praising her husband’s death and expressing support for the group’s ideology.
Police further alleged that Ahmad was living with her family in Syria in 2017 when her father purchased a teenage girl for $10,000 and held her as a slave.
The victim told investigators she was repeatedly beaten and sexually assaulted by Ahmad’s father during the 16 months she lived with the family. Court documents stated that the abuse was so severe that other members of the household, including Ahmad, would likely have been aware of what was happening.
While prosecutors do not accuse Ahmad of physically assaulting the girl, the victim alleged that she was mistreated by Ahmad during her captivity.
The teenager was reportedly sold in late 2018 and transferred several more times before eventually gaining her freedom.
Ahmad and her mother returned to Australia from Syria in May as part of a repatriation operation involving women and children linked to ISIS-held camps. Ahmad was arrested upon arrival at Melbourne Airport.
Prosecutors opposed her bail request, arguing she poses a risk to public safety. They alleged Ahmad remained committed to ISIS ideology, had married multiple ISIS members, and had not publicly renounced the group.
The bail hearing is scheduled to continue on Friday.