Australia charges woman returned from Syria with terrorism offenses
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Australian federal police charged on Thursday a 34-year-old woman with terrorism-related offenses after her return from Syria, accusing her of involvement with the Islamic State (ISIS).
According to a statement issued by the Australian Federal Police (AFP), the woman is accused of being a member of a terrorist organization and entering a declared conflict zone, offenses that carry penalties of up to 10 years in prison each if convicted.
Authorities said the woman traveled to Syria between 2013 and 2014 alongside several individuals, including a man believed to remain detained in a prison in the Middle East, with the intention of joining ISIS.
The woman is scheduled to appear before a court in Melbourne in the coming days.
Australian authorities stated that she had been detained in March 2019 before later residing with family members in al-Hawl Camp in northeast Syria.
The AFP added that the woman returned to Australia through Lebanon accompanied by another 36-year-old woman. Investigations involving both women are ongoing.