ISIS-linked Australian women return home facing slavery and terrorism charges
Consensus Summary
A group of Australian women linked to ISIS, including Kawsar Abbas (54), her daughters Zahra (33) and Zeinab (31), and nine children, returned to Melbourne on May 7, 2026, after over a decade in Syria. Two women were arrested on crimes against humanity charges related to alleged enslavement of Yazidi women, with Mohammed Ahmad, Kawsarâs husband, accused of holding Sarab and Tayseer as slaves. Both Yazidi women allege abuse, including forced labor, confinement, and rape, with Sarab describing a 'slave trial' in Ahmadâs home. The AFP has gathered evidence since 2014, though legal experts warn prosecutions for crimes against humanity face high evidentiary hurdles. The family claims they were trapped in ISIS territory, while victims insist justice must be served. Meanwhile, 21 other Australians remain in Syriaâs Al-Roj camp under investigation.
â Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Kawsar Abbas (54), mother of two ISIS brides (Zahra, 33, and Zeinab, 31), arrived in Melbourne on 2026-05-07 via Qatar Airways from Doha with nine children, some born in Syria to ISIS fighters.
- Mohammed Ahmad (Kawsar Abbasâs husband) is accused of keeping Yazidi women as slaves, including Sarab (allegedly taken at age 13) and Tayseer, with Sarab describing being held captive in his home for three days as a 'slave trial'.
- Zahra Ahmad (widow of ISIS recruiter Muhammad Zahab, who died in 2018) and Zeinab Abbas are among those facing crimes against humanity charges, including enslavement, upon arrival in Australia.
- Mohammed Ahmad denied slavery allegations in 2023, claiming his now-dead son Omar (not him) kept a Yazidi woman, whom he described as 'treated like a daughter'.
- The Australian Federal Police (AFP) arrested two women (Kawsar Abbas and Zeinab Abbas) on crimes against humanity charges and detained a third on terrorism-related offences upon their arrival.
- Sarab and Tayseer, two Yazidi women, allege they were enslaved by Mohammed Ahmadâs family and have been interviewed by the AFP, with Sarab willing to testify in court.
- The family first traveled to Syria in 2014 for a wedding, but Omar Abbas later pledged allegiance to ISIS, trapping them in the caliphate.
- 21 Australians remain in the Al-Roj camp in Syria, all under investigation for terrorism or crimes against humanity offences.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Kawsar Abbas posted on Facebook in 2014 calling her son Omar a 'true soldier of Allah' who 'wonât walk away from the cry of the orphans'.
- Zahra Ahmad taught her 12-year-old son basic maths in an SBS documentary, fearing her children would be separated from her upon return to Australia.
- Zahra Ahmad married Muhammad Zahab, a former Australian maths teacher and ISIS recruiter, after his first wife (another Australian).
- Janai, a former health science student, left Australia in 2015, married an ISIS fighter, and had a child, expressing fear in 2017 that her child would be taken from her if she returned.
- Mohammed Ahmadâs charity in Syria was suspected of funneling money to ISIS by the AFP.
- Zeinab Abbas described living in 'Australia Street' in the Syrian camp, where families await repatriation.
- Zahra Ahmadâs son (12) said he feared being separated from his mother and described himself as a 'big boy' who didnât want to leave her.
- Sarab alleged she was locked in a room for 12 hours with no food after forgetting to wash dishes, and that one of the daughters (Zeinab) got angry at her for not speaking Arabic.
- Tayseer alleged she was raped multiple times by Mohammed Ahmad and forced to film videos of the family for relatives in Australia.
- Sarab saw Zahra and Zeinab again after their brotherâs death, noting they were 'happy' because they viewed combat deaths as 'glorious'.
- AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt stated the agency believes it has met the evidentiary thresholds for prosecution.
- UN Special Rapporteur Ben Saul emphasized that victim testimony is 'absolutely some of the best evidence' for crimes against humanity cases.
- Former US diplomat Peter Galbraith noted that some enslaved Yazidi women in Australia were forcibly separated from children born of rape under ISIS.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- Newscomau states Mohammed Ahmad initially told the ABC in 2019 that his son kept a Yazidi woman 'treated like a daughter', but by 2023 he claimed he 'never even saw' the slave, while ABC reports he consistently denied involvement in slavery allegations.
- Newscomau describes Janai as a former health science student who left Australia in 2015, but ABC does not mention her by name or provide details about her case.
- Newscomau includes a quote from Zahra Ahmad in 2024 pleading for Australians not to 'judge' the women, while ABC focuses on the legal and evidentiary challenges of prosecuting crimes against humanity without direct precedent in Australia.
Source Articles
ISIS bride husbandâs horror slave allegations
The mother of two Aussie ISIS brides - whose own husband is locked up and accused of slavery - wrote gushing posts about her âsoldier of Allahâ son.
'I was their slave': New details of Yazidi woman's alleged captivity emerge
The ABC can reveal new detail about the alleged treatment of a Yazidi woman who claims she was held captive in the home of ISIS-linked Australians in Syria, including two women who are now facing slave-related charges.