Background of the Case
A woman, Zeinab Ahmad, 31, is facing charges related to slavery after allegedly joining the Islamic State (IS) group and being involved in the ownership of a Yazidi slave while in Syria. She is currently seeking bail following her arrest. The case has raised significant concerns about the potential risks she may pose if released.
In 2017, her father, Mohammad Ahmad, purchased a Yazidi teenager for $10,000 (approximately $14,000), who was then forced into sexual servitude and required to perform household duties. Although it was alleged that the girl was sexually and physically assaulted multiple times, Detective Senior Constable Marc Clendenning stated that Ms. Ahmad, then aged 22 and 23, did not “physically hurt” the teenager but did treat her “badly.” The girl was later sold again more than a year later.
The Australian Federal Police have argued that Ms. Ahmad would present an unacceptable risk if released on bail. However, her uncle, Abraham Abbas, addressed the bail hearing, offering to provide her with a place to stay, comfort, and support. He also offered $75,000 and his home as surety. When questioned about his views on Islamic State, he expressed strong disapproval, stating, “I hate those bastards,” and clarified that they do not represent anything related to Islam.
Bail Conditions and Legal Arguments
Ms. Ahmad’s defense lawyer, Grace Morgan, outlined that her client would not contest any application for a control order, which could require her to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet. However, Senior Constable Clendenning emphasized that such an order can only be applied after a conviction and cannot be enforced by the Magistrate’s Court if bail is granted. He noted, “It’s not a tool in bail conditions.”
Victoria Police Detective Sergeant Matthew Archer, who has been involved in the investigation for over three years, agreed with this assessment. He stated, “The control order cannot be put in place because the charges are before the court.”
Despite this, the court heard that Ms. Ahmad agreed to participate in countering violent extremism (CVE) programs administered by Victoria Police and the Board of Imams Victoria. However, Senior Constable Clendenning suggested that these programs were intended for individuals on a “path of radicalisation,” and Ms. Ahmad was considered beyond that point. He noted that she had not renounced her support for Islamic State, and no conditions of that nature would reduce the risk due to the unknowns surrounding her ideology.
Detective Sergeant Archer added that CVE programs cannot be “cherry picked” and are not available for someone charged under Ms. Ahmad’s circumstances.
Association with Islamic State Networks
On the first day of the bail hearing, a federal police statement of facts was read to the court, detailing the movements of the Ahmad family into Syria. It is alleged that Zeinab Ahmad’s father, Mohammad Zeinab, arrived in Turkey in 2013, and the family joined him the following year before crossing into Syria.
During their time in Syria, the court heard that the family used social media to accept donations via a page called Global Humanitarian Aid, which police suspect was used to fund their travel into Syria. Social media posts showed the family together in territory controlled by Islamic State.
Zeinab Ahmad made multiple social media posts supporting Islamic State, carried an Islamic State identification card, and earned an income from the group. In 2015, she posted that her husband, Dawod, had decided to “Hijrah to the land of Khalifah,” meaning to migrate and join the Islamic State caliphate. She claimed, “The actions my husband made, and which I had to follow, have nothing, absolutely nothing to do with my parents or myself.”
It is believed that Dawod was killed in 2016, and Ms. Ahmad was subsequently married to two other Australian men during her time in Syria. The Australian Federal Police statement of facts states she is currently married to a member of Islamic State, indicating her proximity to and association with Islamic State-linked networks.
Restrictions on Liberties and Yazidi Trafficking
The court also heard details about how Islamic State imposed severe restrictions on the liberties of women, including the accused. The court learned about the trafficking of Yazidi women and children, an ethnic minority living in Syria, Iraq, and Turkey. Approximately 6,800 women and children were captured by ISIS and sold in markets to serve men for sex and household duties. Many remain unaccounted for.
