Hodan Abby, believed to be the last Australian woman known as an Islamic State bride in Syria, along with her disabled young daughter, has reportedly disappeared into the Syrian prison system following the Australian government’s refusal to allow her to return home. This development has raised concerns about her welfare amid reports of severe conditions and abuses in detention facilities.

In May, Abby was prevented from boarding a flight in Damascus alongside five other women who were repatriated to Australia. This occurred after Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke issued a temporary exclusion order (TEO) barring her return. Instead of being returned to the Roj internment camp in northeast Syria, where she had been detained previously, Syrian authorities reportedly transferred her to Idlib, a city in northwest Syria controlled by the militant group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

Her family, who have lost all contact with her, were informed by Abby in one of her final messages that she was “OK” and was being taken to a detention center in Idlib. Since then, there has been no communication for more than three weeks. Multiple sources familiar with the situation have confirmed that she is held in an undisclosed prison known for harsh conditions and isolated from her family.

Abby, 29, left western Sydney in 2015 at age 18 and spent several years in Kurdish-run camps alongside her daughter, who suffers from serious medical conditions caused by shrapnel injuries to her head, hip, and back. Medical experts have warned that without timely treatment, the child faces a risk of permanent paralysis. Despite the option to have her daughter repatriated separately, Abby reportedly declined to be separated from her.

Legal efforts to challenge the exclusion order, which is valid until February 2028, have been considered by Abby’s relatives. They enlisted the assistance of Birchgrove Legal principal solicitor Moustafa Kheir, although no formal legal action has yet commenced, and Kheir has not responded to enquiries.

Idlib’s detention facilities have a long-standing reputation for poor conditions. Human rights organizations have documented reports of torture, overcrowding, abductions, and inadequate medical care in prisons controlled by HTS, a former al-Qa’ida affiliate that now governs parts of northwest Syria. Among these is the Qobah Prison, notorious for widespread abuses, although it is uncertain whether Abby is held there.

The situation has left Abby’s family distressed and uncertain about her safety. Sources indicate that the lack of information is hindering any progress in securing her release or adequate medical treatment, amplifying fears for both her and her daughter’s well-being in the volatile Syrian region.