Sydney, May 8, 2026 — Three Australian women with alleged links to the Islamic State (IS) group have been formally charged after returning to Australia from Syria, authorities confirmed on Friday.
The women were among a group of four women and nine children repatriated from detention camps in northeastern Syria, where they had been living since the collapse of IS territory in 2019.
Australian Federal Police arrested two women shortly after they arrived at Melbourne Airport on Thursday. A third woman was detained in Sydney after arriving with her son.
Authorities identified the women as Kawsar Abbas, 53, her daughter Zeinab Ahmed, 31, and Janai Safar, 32.
Police allege Abbas traveled to Syria in 2014 with her family and was involved in purchasing a female slave for US$10,000 while living under Islamic State control. She faces four charges of crimes against humanity.
Ahmed is accused of knowingly keeping the enslaved woman in the family home and faces two similar charges. Both women are scheduled to appear before the Melbourne Magistrates Court, and the offences carry a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
In Sydney, Safar was charged with entering and remaining in a declared conflict zone and allegedly being a member of the Islamic State group. Authorities said she traveled to Syria in 2015 to join her husband after he had already joined IS.
The Australian Federal Police said the investigation into Australians who traveled to conflict zones remains ongoing.
AFP Assistant Commissioner for Counter Terrorism Stephen Nutt said authorities were committed to ensuring anyone suspected of criminal offences overseas would face Australian courts.
“This remains an active investigation into very serious allegations,” he said.
Another member of the returning group, Zahra Ahmed, arrived in Melbourne but was not arrested.
The women were part of a larger group of 34 Australian women and children who had been held at the al-Roj detention camp in Syria. Earlier this year, the group attempted to return to Australia independently after leaving the camp, but they were reportedly forced to return for technical reasons after the Australian government declined to assist their travel.
One individual from the group was previously barred from returning to Australia under a temporary exclusion order that can prevent entry for up to two years.
Scenes at Melbourne Airport turned chaotic on Thursday evening as a group of men surrounded one of the returning women and children in an apparent effort to shield them from media cameras.
The case has renewed debate in Australia over the repatriation and prosecution of citizens linked to extremist organizations abroad.
