An Australian court is hearing a troubling case involving allegations of enslavement and abuse tied to the Islamic State (IS) in Syria. The focus is on a Yazidi woman who claims she was held captive and mistreated by a family linked to the extremist group.
In Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, Zeinab Ahmad, 31, is seeking bail while facing two charges related to slavery. Her case is set to continue, and the court heard unsettling testimony from a Yazidi witness who recounted her ordeal at the hands of Zeinab’s family.
According to police, the witness alleged she was purchased for $10,000 in 2017 by Mohammed Ahmad, Zeinab’s father, in Raqqa, Syria, then an IS stronghold. “I bought you for the purpose of raping and at the same time serving the home,” Mohammed reportedly told the witness, as shared by Detective Senior Constable Mark Clendenning.
Mohammed and his wife, Kawsar Ahmad—who also goes by the name Kawsar Abbas—allegedly had unique status within IS that allowed them certain privileges, such as purchasing the Yazidi teenager, a role not commonly held by women in the caliphate, Clendenning stated.
The witness was forced to share a room with Zeinab in the family’s home, where she was subjected to continuous abuse. Mohammed, now imprisoned in Iraq, reportedly assaulted her multiple times each month. The abuse included being beaten and sexually assaulted, despite her resistance. Zeinab is said to have been present during some of these incidents, allegedly threatening the witness and ordering her to perform household tasks.
Zeinab’s history in Syria was detailed in court, noting her marriages to IS fighters, including an Egyptian whose whereabouts are currently unknown. Zeinab’s first husband was killed in a drone strike in 2016 before she remarried. Police are concerned that releasing her might endanger public safety.
The Yazidi witness described being enslaved at the age of 15 and traded among IS members 17 times over five years. She was eventually liberated by Kurdish forces in 2019. This case highlights the persecution faced by the Yazidis, a Kurdish-speaking minority predominantly found in Syria, Iraq, and Turkey.
The Ahmad family had moved from Melbourne to Syria between 2013 and 2014, with Zeinab traveling there in 2014 with her husband, according to police. Clendenning expressed concerns about Zeinab’s potential release, stating that she never explicitly renounced IS since surrendering to Kurdish forces. She faces serious charges, each carrying a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison.
