Four Australian ISIS-linked Women Charged Upon Return From Syria

Four women who returned from a camp in northern Syria were charged by police with offences ranging from entering a declared zone and joining a terrorist organisation to crimes against humanity including the enslavement of a Yazidi female. The charges against two of the women are the first crimes against humanity offences laid in Australia.

The women arrived on Thursday night as part of a group of 13 people. Three of the women were taken into custody immediately while a fourth, Zahra Ahmad, was not arrested. As the women appeared in court in Sydney and Melbourne on Friday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he had "zero sympathy" for any Australians who had travelled to join the Islamic State's self-proclaimed caliphate.

He noted that the United States government and others had urged Australia to facilitate the returns and that Australia had made its own decision as a sovereign state. >"one of the things that divides our society from the lawless barbarity of ISIS is that we believe in the rule of law" — Anthony Albanese (The Sydney Morning Herald) Albanese added that while he had no sympathy for the adults, he did have sympathy for the children, who are victims of decisions made by their parents.

He said the children needed support after experiencing dire conditions in Syrian camps and exposure to a violent ideology.

A Yazidi community leader who fled Iraq for Australia in 2018 said the developments brought back very painful memories and emotional scars for survivors, especially women who endured captivity and slavery. The leader said the community was urging authorities to fully investigate any Australians accused of supporting terrorism or participating in crimes against humanity.