Electronic Monitoring and Religious Counseling Proposed in High-Profile Slavery Case
A recent court hearing in Melbourne has drawn attention as a woman facing serious allegations related to slavery in Syria has offered to comply with conditions such as wearing an electronic ankle bracelet and undergoing religious counseling if granted bail. The legal proceedings, which have implications for counter-terrorism and human rights law, continue to unfold.
Zeinab Ahmad, 31, is seeking bail while facing two charges of slavery. Her case was discussed in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, with hearings held over two days. A continuation is scheduled for June 15, where a police witness is expected to testify at the request of her attorney, Grace Morgan.
The accused plans to reside with her daughter at the home of her uncle, Abraham Abbas, in Melbourne. Abbas expressed strong disapproval of the Islamic State group, stating, “They’re evil and they don’t represent anything to do with Islam at all.”
Ahmad and her mother, Kawsar Ahmad, 53, were taken into custody on these charges upon their return to Australia from a Syrian refugee camp. They were part of a group of women and children with ties to IS, underscoring the complex international dimensions of the case.
The accusations against the Ahmad family include enslaving a Yazidi teenager in Raqqa, Syria, in 2017 and 2018. The victim claims she suffered abuse at the hands of Mohammed Ahmad, the family patriarch, who is now imprisoned in Iraq.
Defense lawyer Morgan proposed Ahmad’s release under a program aimed at countering violent extremism, which includes religious counseling by police and a board of imams. Ahmad is also willing to accept confinement conditions such as electronic monitoring and phone surveillance.
However, two police officers testified against the use of control orders as a substitute for bail conditions, citing legal and safety concerns. Detective Senior Constable Marc Clendenning, leading the investigation, expressed doubts about the effectiveness of such measures in mitigating potential risks.
“There’s a lot of unknown information about the accused’s ideology,” Clendenning stated. “The fact of being under Islamic State for over a decade, no conditions of that nature would ameliorate the risk.”
The Ahmad family’s move from Melbourne to Syria via Turkey in 2013 and 2014 is part of the backdrop to this intricate legal battle, which involves charges of crimes against humanity, each carrying a potential 25-year prison sentence.
Given the unprecedented nature of these charges in Victoria, Morgan argues the trial could be lengthy, while Detective Sgt. Matt Archer acknowledges the legal complexities involved in prosecuting such a case for the first time. The Yazidi woman’s testimony, gathered without electronic recording in a Kurdish region of Iraq, adds another layer of complexity to the proceedings.
