"Police said ahead of the arrivals that the women could be charged with 'terrorism offences' after travelling to a banned area, as well as 'crimes against humanity offences such as engaging in slave trading.' The groups of returnees were greeted by black-clad security personnel as well as throngs of journalists."
"Australia, as well as countries like the UK and Canada, has been reluctant to bring back its citizens who traveled to Syria to support IS. Australian officials said they would not help IS-connected individuals to return, but also could not stop them. Some 21 Australians are still believed to be in the Al-Roj camp in north-eastern Syria."
"One of the returning women told the broadcaster she was looking forward to being back in Australia. 'We just want our children to be safe. It was like hell [in Syria] for them,' she told ABC in Doha Airport before boarding the flight to Melbourne."
Three Australian women aged 31, 32, and 53 were arrested upon arrival at Sydney and Melbourne airports after returning from Syria where they allegedly supported Islamic State fighters. The women had spent years in refugee camps following IS's downfall. Nine children accompanied the returnees, though one woman in the group was not arrested. Australian authorities charged them with terrorism offences for traveling to banned areas and crimes against humanity including slave trading. The government has been reluctant to facilitate returns of IS-connected citizens, though it cannot legally prevent them. Approximately 21 Australians remain in Syrian camps. One returning woman expressed relief about her children's safety after their difficult time in Syria.
#islamic-state-returnees #terrorism-charges #syria-conflict #australian-law-enforcement #repatriation-policy
Read at www.dw.com
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