An Australian woman accused of travelling to Syria and becoming involved with the Islamic State (ISIS) has been granted bail after a Melbourne court found strict conditions could manage the risk to the community.

As per report, Kawsar Abbas, 54, appeared relieved as Chief Magistrate Lisa Hannan granted her bail at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday afternoon, with supporters in the courtroom reacting to the decision.

Abbas and her daughter Zeinab Ahmad, 31, were charged in May with slavery-related offences after returning to Australia with family members of former Islamic State fighters.

Prosecutors allege Abbas travelled to Syria with her husband, Mohammad Ahmad, and their children around January 2015 to join ISIS.

It is alleged that in 2017, Mohammad Ahmad purchased a teenage girl, who prosecutors claim was held as a slave and subjected to repeated rape and assault.

Abbas is accused of agreeing to the purchase, possessing a slave and participating in slave trading. Prosecutors allege she treated the girl poorly and threatened her with violence, although she was not accused of physically assaulting the victim.

During the bail hearing, police argued Abbas posed a risk to the community and raised concerns about the possibility of her spreading extremist ideology if released.

Defence barrister Peter Morrissey SC argued Abbas did not support ISIS and said strict bail conditions could address any concerns.

Chief Magistrate Hannan determined the risk could be managed through stringent conditions and granted Abbas bail.

Her daughter Zeinab Ahmad was denied bail in a separate hearing last week.

Abbas is expected to face further court proceedings as the slavery-related charges continue.

Support our Journalism

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.