Australian Accused of Crimes Against Humanity Seeks Bail
Zeinab Ahmad, 31, an Australian national facing two counts of crimes against humanity, including enslavement and using a slave, has informed a court that she sought to disassociate herself from extremist ideologies following the collapse of the Islamic State. Her legal representative is advocating for her release on bail, citing anticipated delays in legal proceedings.
During a court hearing, Ahmad’s lawyer, Grace Morgan, presented her client’s efforts to signal to fellow detainees at a Syrian refugee camp that she was not aligned with ISIS. “She was sick of people being in control of her,” Ms. Morgan stated, relaying Ahmad’s desire to distance herself from those with differing ideologies. Ahmad reportedly began wearing colored clothing and removing her face coverings to signify this separation, expressing, “I wasn’t and I won’t be like them.”
Ahmad also conveyed her negative experiences with Islam, telling a forensic doctor, “I don’t want any more Islamic influence on her,” referring to her daughter. She expressed a desire for her child to experience multiculturalism and the diversity of Australia.
Allegations of Complicity Questioned
Ms. Morgan argued that the allegations of her client’s involvement in violence against an alleged victim were unsubstantiated. “To the extent that it is alleged my client has been complicit in violence or sexual slavery – that aspect of the case is weak,” she submitted. “And it’s weak because of statements made by the complainants.”
The defense asserted that Ahmad had, in fact, attempted to intervene to protect a young woman allegedly held as a slave and subjected to sexual assault by Ahmad’s father, Mohammad Ahmad, who is currently imprisoned in Syria. “There is evidence of positive conduct intervening to prevent on at least one occasion,” Ms. Morgan claimed.
Father’s Alleged Cruelty Detailed
Previously, the court heard accounts of Ahmad’s father’s alleged brutal treatment of the family slave. He is accused of routinely assaulting the girl, including an incident where he allegedly punched her and dragged her down stairs by her hair. Court testimony indicates he told the girl, “I bought you for sex and housework.”
The girl was reportedly taken captive as a 15-year-old when her mother and brother were killed by ISIS fighters. Over approximately five years, she is said to have been traded numerous times among different ISIS members, enduring beatings, torture, and rape. Authorities allege the Ahmad family purchased the girl, whose identity is protected for legal reasons, for US$10,000 in 2017. Mohammad Ahmad allegedly presented the girl as his wife to others but confided to her, “I bought you for the purpose of raping and at the same time serving the home.”
Bail Application and Delays
Ms. Morgan contended that Ahmad should be granted bail due to several factors, including the significant delays anticipated before the case reaches a conclusion. The court was informed that the trial could potentially take over three years, a duration that Ms. Morgan suggested might exceed any sentence Ahmad could receive if convicted. “The case is not presently ready for a fair trial,” she stated.
Ahmad and her child have reportedly endured difficult conditions in the refugee camp, and Ms. Morgan emphasized her client’s strong desire to return to Australia. “My client is an Australian citizen who was born here, went to school here, grew up here…if the political will existed for them to be brought home, they would have been brought home.” Ms. Morgan described Ahmad’s seven-year period of confinement as occurring in “harsh and dangerous conditions.”
Ahmad herself has reportedly experienced violence at the hands of men, and Ms. Morgan argued that her client’s freedoms were severely curtailed under the regime. “That goes back to the significant structures of power and control that were imposed on women by this regime.”
Renunciation of ISIS and Past Affiliations
The court heard that Ahmad claimed to have been forced into each of her marriages to ISIS combatants. Ms. Morgan suggested that her client has renounced ISIS, stating, “It lends support to the proposition that she would have antipathy to the regime that enabled and indeed furthered violent control and aggressive conduct by men.”
Court documents indicate Ahmad shared her living quarters with the alleged slave and reportedly kept a Glock pistol in the room. She was initially married to Australian Dawood Elmir, who died in a drone strike in 2016. Her second marriage was to Abu Mus’ab, an Australian who was killed in an air strike. Her third husband was an Egyptian ISIS fighter known as Abu Omar al-Masri, whose current whereabouts are unknown. Earlier testimonies suggest Ahmad had expressed happiness in Syria and pride in her first husband’s death as a martyr. In 2017, she posted a prayer for Islamic victory and against oppressive leaders.
Community Risk Assessed
Ahmad’s uncle, Abraham Abbas, has offered a surety of $75,000 for her release. However, law enforcement officials have raised concerns about an unacceptable risk of Ahmad endangering the community if granted bail, arguing that no bail conditions could adequately mitigate this risk.
Chief Magistrate Lisa Hannan will render her decision after reviewing all presented evidence and final submissions.
