A so-called ‘ISIS bride’ developed an opposition to extremist ideology following the beginning of her daughter in a refugee camp, a courtroom has been instructed.
Zeinab Ahmad was arrested and charged with slavery offences upon her return to Australia with different relations of former Islamic State fighters in Could after years of languishing in a Syrian refugee camp.
The 31-year-old mom on Thursday launched her second bid for bail within the Victorian Supreme Court docket, arguing she doesn’t pose a threat to the neighborhood.
Her barrister Julie Condon KC relied on ‘compelling proof’ from psychiatrist Rajan Darjee exhibiting Ahmad had a ‘demonstrated opposition’ to extremist ideology.
Between 2015 to 2017, when Ahmad was residing along with her speedy household in Syria, Dr Darjee mentioned she could have been ‘caught up’ within the ideology.
She had made social media posts throughout that point allegedly calling for violence towards non-believers and the destruction of the US and its allies.
However Dr Darjee mentioned these beliefs have modified following the autumn of IS and the beginning of her daughter within the Al-Hawl refugee camp in 2019.
‘I regarded for any proof since 2019 of any of those components – I did not discover any,’ he mentioned.
Zeinab Ahmad has argued she wouldn’t be a threat to the neighborhood if launched on bail
‘(She was) solely centered on her daughter’s security and wanting her to have vibrant tents.’
Ahmad had moved to Syria along with her household and her first husband in 2015 earlier than he was killed in a drone strike whereas preventing for IS.
Whereas residing in IS-controlled territory in 2017, it is alleged her father Mohammad purchased a teenage woman as a slave for $US10,000.
The woman was allegedly raped and crushed repeatedly by Mohammad, together with an incident the place she was hit and dragged down two flights of stairs by the hair.
She reported screaming loudly in the course of the incidents so Ahmad and the opposite relations would have identified what was taking place.
Ahmad shouldn’t be alleged to have assaulted the woman.
However the teen claims she was ‘handled very badly’ and Ahmad would order her round the home and never let her depart voluntarily.
Ahmad would have been residing in a male-dominated household setting in Syria that was ‘coercive, controlling and misogynistic,’ Dr Darjee mentioned.
It’s believable she has now moved on and rejected these beliefs, he mentioned.
Beneath prosecution questioning, the psychiatrist conceded his conclusion about Ahmad exhibiting no warning behaviours didn’t imply they didn’t exist.
Lead police investigator Marc Clendenning accepted Ahmad had not posted any social media help for IS since February 2017.
Psychologist Julianne Learn, who assessed Ahmad and her daughter, instructed the courtroom the accused described her time in Syria was ’11 years of hell’ and had rejected extremist ideology.
The courtroom was instructed Ahmad’s psychological well being and post-traumatic stress dysfunction had deteriorated in custody, burdened by her separation from her daughter.
She was denied bail by a Justice of the Peace in June when her mom Kawsar, additionally dealing with slavery fees, was granted conditional launch.
The listening to resumes .
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