A Melbourne grandmother accused of enslaving a Yazidi girl during the Islamic State’s occupation of parts of Syria has become the focus of a landmark prosecution involving alleged crimes against humanity. Kawsar Abbas, 54, faces four charges related to slavery, including enslavement, possession and use of a slave, and engaging in slave trading, each carrying a maximum penalty of 25 years’ imprisonment.
The charges relate to allegations that Ms. Abbas and her husband, Mohammed Ahmad, purchased a Yazidi teenager captured by ISIS and subjected her to sexual slavery and forced servitude. The girl, who was taken by ISIS in 2014 at the age of 15, was reportedly brought to the family’s residence in Mayadin, Syria, around Ramadan 2017. According to court documents, Ms. Abbas reportedly participated in inspecting the teenager and approved her purchase for $US10,000. Evidence presented to the Melbourne Magistrate’s Court includes accounts that Ms. Abbas stood by as her husband declared the girl had been bought to be raped and serve their household, and that she allegedly instructed him to punish the girl when she failed to complete chores.
The teenager gave evidence to Australian Federal Police officers describing ongoing domestic servitude and compulsory Islamic religious study under Ms. Abbas’s supervision. She also testified that Ms. Abbas forced her into military indoctrination, encouraging her to learn weapons training in line with ISIS ideological beliefs.
Prosecutors introduced further evidence implicating Ms. Abbas in continued support for the Islamic State cause, including social media posts and intercepted communications. One such post, reportedly endorsed by Ms. Abbas and authored by her daughter Zeinab Ahmad, prayed for the destruction of Western nations and celebrated IS territorial gains. Another post referenced the family’s departure from the war-torn city of Aleppo in late 2016.
A home video recovered from an encrypted device in 2016 captured Ms. Abbas during a phone call appearing alarmed as the camera panned over a room displaying a black ISIS flag draped on a wall. During the video, she can be heard urgently requesting to review the footage, underscoring her awareness of the symbol's presence.
The case marks the first federal prosecution in Australia addressing slavery charges linked to the ISIS caliphate’s atrocities against the Yazidi community. Authorities claim that Ms. Abbas and her family exploited a Melbourne-based charity, Global Humanitarian Aid, misusing public donations intended for Syrian refugees to finance their travels and illegal entry into ISIS-controlled areas. Although Ms. Abbas stated on travel records in August 2014 that she was making a two-month trip to Turkey, investigators contend the family crossed into Syria by January 2015.
Ms. Abbas currently remains in custody after her daughter Zeinab Ahmad was denied bail earlier this week over concerns about community risk. The bail hearing for Ms. Abbas remains ongoing as the unprecedented case unfolds.