Two Australian women, a mother and daughter, have been charged with crimes against humanity after returning from Syria, where they allegedly had links to the Islamic State group (ISIS). Australian authorities accuse the pair of involvement in the enslavement of a Yazidi woman during their time in Syria between 2014 and 2018. Prosecutors allege the women knowingly kept the victim as a slave inside their family home while ISIS controlled large parts of the region.
The women were arrested shortly after arriving in Melbourne following years spent in detention camps in northeastern Syria. A third Australian woman who returned separately was also charged with terrorism-related offences linked to alleged membership in ISIS. All three women were denied bail and remain in custody while investigations continue.
The case is believed to be one of the first times Australian authorities have pursued crimes against humanity charges connected to ISIS activities in Syria. Human rights groups say the prosecution could become a landmark case as countries continue dealing with citizens accused of joining extremist groups during the conflict.
