Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/AUSTRALIA: An Australian woman, who had been rescued from a squalid Syrian detention camp, appeared in a court on Friday on the charges linked to her ex-husband’s role within the Islamic State militant group.
Mariam Raad had repatriated in October 2022, as part of the humanitarian mission to free Australian children and women from a notorious camp at Al-Hol and Roj.
IS fighters
The women in most cases were the wives of Islamic State fighters, who said they were forced and tricked into following their former husbands to Syria.
Australian police, who arrested Raad on Thursday, alleged that the 31-year-old knew her former husband Muhammad Zahab, a high-profile Islamic State recruiter or that she had willingly travelled to the troubled region.
Mariam has been charged with travelling to parts of Syria controlled by Islamic State, a crime under Australian law and punishable by up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Mariam was granted bail after the brief hearing on Friday morning and could return to the court in March.
Cunter-terrorism commander Mark Walton said her bail conditions included surrendering her passport and banning watching propaganda for militant groups and terrorist organisations.
“We have zero tolerance for Australians, and anyone, who seeks to commit acts of violence, extremism, and those considering doing the wrong thing could come under our notice.
Australian Federal Police said that Zahab, an ex-math teacher in Sydney, is believed to have been killed in an airstrike in Syria in 2018.
