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World
Australian police have charged two women linked to ISIS with slavery and crimes against humanity after they returned from a Syrian refugee camp.
Two women who returned to Australia from a Syrian refugee camp now face charges of slavery and human trafficking, authorities announced Thursday. The pair, aged 53 and 31, were arrested at Melbourne Airport upon arrival and are accused of holding a housekeeper as a slave in their homes while active with the Islamic State group.
The charges include crimes against humanity for owning and using slaves in Syria, carrying a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. Australian Federal Police counter-terrorism assistant commissioner Stephen Nutt stated in a release that the investigation remains active and involves "very serious allegations."
Police say both women traveled to Syria in 2014 with their families. Reuters was unable to immediately reach the women or their legal representatives for comment.
In a separate development, a 32-year-old Australian woman was arrested at Sydney Airport on Thursday on terrorism-related charges, including allegedly joining ISIS. That case carries a maximum 10-year sentence, and she is scheduled to appear in a Sydney court on Friday. Police allege she traveled to Syria in 2015 to join her husband, who had left Australia earlier and joined the militant group.
Earlier this week, the Australian government stated that four women and nine children are planning to return from Syrian camps without official assistance. Officials declined to comment on the status of the fourth woman or the children.
The arrivals have placed the center-left government under significant scrutiny, with critics accusing it of not doing enough to prevent their repatriation. The government has responded by citing "very serious limitations" on what authorities can do to stop Australian citizens from re-entering the country.
