Three Australian Women Linked to Islamic State Arrested After Returning From Syria With Children

Three Australian women linked to Islamic State were arrested on Thursday after arriving back in Australia with their children following years in a camp in Syria.

“- Published Three women with links to the jihadist Islamic State (IS) group have been arrested on returning home to Australia following years in detention in Syria”

BBC

Reuters reported that a 54-year-old woman arriving at Melbourne airport on Thursday evening was arrested and was expected to be charged with four counts of crimes against humanity relating to slavery, while a 31-year-old woman on the same flight was also arrested and would be charged with two slavery offences.

BBC

At Sydney airport, a 32-year-old woman was arrested and was expected to be charged with two offences, including being a member of a terrorist organisation.

AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt said, “The safety of the community is the number one priority for all agencies involved,” as preparations for the women’s return began as early as 2015.

The arrests followed the Australian government’s confirmation on Wednesday that four women and nine children detained in northeast Syria planned to return to Australia, but would receive no government assistance.

Reuters quoted Nutt saying, “The safety of the community is the number one priority for all agencies involved,” and described how each charge carried maximum prison terms, including up to 25 years for crimes against humanity.

Devdiscourse

The Conversation reported Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke reiterated “the government has not and will not provide any assistance to this group,” while AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett said “some individuals” would be arrested and charged.

In parallel, the Straits Times said police expected some of the returning women to be charged with “terrorism offences”, such as travelling to a banned area and “engaging in slave trading,” and quoted NSW state police commissioner Mal Lanyon saying, “For operational reasons, I won’t go into who may be arrested.”

Authorities said the children in the cohort would be handled through reintegration and support programmes as adults faced arrest and possible charges on arrival.

“By Renju Jose and Alasdair Pal SYDNEY, May 7 (Reuters) - Three Australian women linked to the extremist group Islamic State were arrested on Thursday after arriving home with their children following years in a camp in Syria, and were expected to be charged with slavery and terrorism offences, police said”

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Reuters said the AFP earlier stated the children were expected to enter community reintegration and support programmes, and it described that the women had been held in camps in northeast Syria, including al-Roj.

The Conversation added that minors “will be asked to undergo community integration programs, therapeutic support and countering violent extremist programs,” and it quoted Barrett that the AFP and partners would provide updates “at the appropriate time.”

NPR described the same return as police said the women would be arrested and face criminal investigations if they returned, with Burke saying, “There are very serious limits on what can be done with respect to preventing a citizen of a country returning to their country.”