Anthony Albanese, the prime minister, has stated that he has “absolutely zero sympathy” for the most recent group of ISIS brides to return to Australia.
Nearly two weeks after escaping the Al-Roj prison camp in northeastern Syria, four women and eight children connected to ISIS members arrived in Melbourne and Sydney on Thursday night.
When the Australian Federal Police (AFP) arrived, three of the four ladies were taken into custody and subsequently charged.
Grandmother Kawsar Abbas, 54, and her daughter Zeinab Ahmed, 31, are accused of crimes related to slavery, while her oldest daughter Janai Safar, 32, is accused of crimes related to terrorism.
On Friday, Albanese defended the way his government handled their return.
He told reporters, “One of the things that separates our society from the lawless barbarism of ISIS is that we believe in the rule of law, which means if you are an Australian citizen, you have some entitlements.”
“We didn’t help these people.” They were not returned. “But we chose to make our own decisions as a sovereign state and not to provide them with any support, because I have absolutely zero sympathy for these people.” It is true that the US administration and others pressured us to do so.
Anthony Albanese, the prime minister (pictured), said he has “absolutely zero sympathy” for the most recent group of ISIS brides to return to Australia.
After being arrested at Sydney Airport on Thursday night, Janai Safar (above) was charged with being a member of a terrorist organization and entering or remaining in designated areas.
Albanese did, however, show empathy for the kids, characterising them as victims of their parents’ poor choices.
He went on, “It is appropriate that they undergo support, children who were subjected and exposed to all sorts of horrors in those camps with a big presence of ISIS and that terrible, horrific ideology which seeks to destroy our way of life.”
Albanese stated that three of the women were “in the clink” and expressed confidence that the authorities would take the proper punishment.
“Australian citizens do have rights, but we have a right as a government to ensure the law is upheld and these people will face the full force of the law,” he declared. “I have faith in our authorities, in the Australian Federal Police, in ASIO, in ASIS, in all of our security agencies.”
Before Abbas and Zeinab were taken into custody by AFP officers and charged on Friday morning, the women were detained in customs for several hours.
Abbas was accused of four crimes against humanity, including participation in the slave trade and possessing and employing a slave.
Out of the four ISIS brides that arrived in Australia on Thursday night, only Zahra Ahmad was not detained.
Following their arrest upon arrival in Melbourne and subsequent charges, Kawsar Abbas, 54, and her daughter Zeinab Ahmed, 31, will be detained for the weekend.
The maximum punishment for these offences is 25 years in prison.
According to police, Abbas flew to Syria in 2014 with her husband and kids, participated in the US$10,000 purchase of a female slave, and purposefully kept the lady in her house.
Ahmed is accused of two counts of slavery. The maximum sentence for both charges is 25 years in prison. She and her family moved to Syria in 2014, and it is alleged that she intentionally kept a female slave at her house.
When Abbas saw a group of supporters in the courtroom on Friday, she smiled at them while wearing a pink hijab.
Later, Zeinab wore a black hijab when she appeared in court.
Both of them were placed under remand in detention until Monday, at which point they will request bail.
Prominent criminal attorneys Bill Doogue and Maya George have been appointed to represent the mother and daughter.
On Friday, attorney Bill Doogue (left) was spotted leaving the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.
Reporters were escorted through the airport terminal by Zahra Ahmed, who remained silent.
In the mushroom murder trial last year, Mr. Doogue represented convicted triple-killer Erin Patterson.
As Zahra Ahmad departed Melbourne Airport on a shuttle bus, she was protected from the media by a huge group of black-clad men and permitted to stroll for free.
The most recent group went to Australia with Janai Safar, 32, and her nine-year-old kid. Shortly after arriving at Sydney Airport on Thursday night, AFP police escorted them from the aircraft.
Safar was then accused of being a member of a terrorist group and of entering or staying in a designated area.
She allegedly went to Syria in 2015 to join her husband, who had already fled Australia to join ISIS, according to the police.
Safar was denied bail when she appeared in Downing Centre Local Court on Friday afternoon. On July 15, she is expected to make another appearance in the same court.
Investigations into the group are still ongoing, according to the AFP.Commissioner Stephen Nutt told reporters in Canberra on Thursday night that the inquiry into these grave accusations is still ongoing.
Twenty-one Australians are reportedly still at the Al-Roj camp in northeastern Syria.
