Australian authorities have laid terror-related charges against a 34-year-old woman who returned to the country in September from a refugee camp in Syria, officials said on Thursday. The charges allege she joined Islamic State and unlawfully entered and remained in a declared conflict zone.
According to the Australian Federal Police, the woman traveled to Syria between 2013 and 2014 in the company of others, including a man who is believed to be held in a prison in the Middle East. The alleged offences carry maximum penalties of up to 10 years in prison, and the woman is scheduled to appear before a Melbourne court on Thursday.
Authorities say Kurdish forces detained her in March 2019. She was subsequently held with family members at the Al-Hawl refugee camp, where a number of foreign nationals were detained following the collapse of the so-called caliphate in 2019. Police stated that she later returned to Australia from Lebanon accompanied by another woman, aged 36, and that inquiries into both women remain under way.
"It is important to note that a period of time without charges being laid is not an indicator that investigations have ceased," AFP Deputy Commissioner of National Security Investigations Hilda Sirec said.
"Investigations are continuing into all the recent adult female returnees from Syrian camps."
The current charges follow the return earlier this month of two women who have been charged with slavery-related offences and a third who was charged with terror offences, including an allegation of joining Islamic State. In a separate movement, a second group of Australian women and children arrived from a Syrian camp on Tuesday and faced no charges on arrival.
The returns have sparked criticism from political opponents who argue the centre-left government did not prevent the women from traveling back to Australia. The government, for its part, has said it did not provide assistance for their travel and has stressed there are "very serious limits" on the ability to stop citizens from re-entering the country.
Officials note that between 2012 and 2016 some Australian women travelled to Syria to join husbands who were allegedly members of Islamic State. After the collapse of the caliphate in 2019 many of those women and children were detained in camps across the region, where some remained until repatriation efforts in recent years.
Key developments and context
- The woman, aged 34, is accused of joining Islamic State and entering and remaining in a declared conflict zone.
- She was detained by Kurdish forces in March 2019 and held at the Al-Hawl refugee camp before returning to Australia from Lebanon with another adult woman.
- Investigations into recent adult female returnees from Syrian camps are continuing, and other recent returnees have faced slavery-related and terror charges.
Court timetable and penalties
The accused is due to appear in Melbourne court on Thursday. Both of the charges brought against her carry maximum penalties of up to 10 years in prison.
Note: This report reflects statements and details provided by authorities. Where information in public statements was limited, the narrative reflects those limitations rather than introducing additional detail or inference.