Lawyers for a grandmother accused of committing slavery offences while allegedly supporting the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria have argued she will live a “very confined” and “peaceful existence” if granted bail to live with family in Melbourne.
Kawsar Ahmad was among the contingent of so-called ISIS brides who returned to Australia after fleeing a Syrian detainment camp last month.
She is facing four slavery-related offences and is now seeking bail in a multi-day hearing before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.
Her lawyer, Peter Morrissey SC, told the court his contention that Mrs Ahmad would live a “small and local life” if bailed followed concern from prosecutors about the 54-year-old proselytising and engaging with mosques if she were released.
“Her instructions to us are that she won’t. She’ll keep away,” he said.
The court heard Mrs Ahmad would agree not to attend a mosque in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, abide by a curfew at a set address, and agree to restrictions on her phone use if granted bail.
Her lawyers said she was also seeking to commence divorce proceedings.
Accused diagnosed with interrelated mental illnesses
Much of today’s evidence related to the 54-year-old’s psychological state, with the court hearing that her isolation from family while detained on remand was causing significant distress.
Michael Davis, a forensic psychologist who diagnosed Mrs Ahmad with a string of interrelated anxiety and depression-related disorders, told the court she was so focused on spending time with her family that she would be “very unlikely to want to leave the house much”.
“Should she be able to go and live with her family again and be with her children and her grandchildren and her mother, I am of the opinion that the major depressive disorder will probably improve,” Dr Davis said.
While the 54-year-old had no suicidal ideation, he said: “When really pushed, she admits death would be better, but she can’t leave her children behind.”
The forensic psychologist was also questioned on the issue of recidivism among people who carry out terrorist acts.
Dr Davis told the court that Mrs Ahmad was currently exhibiting no indicative behaviours using one threat assessment tool.
He described similar deradicalisation cases as “vanishingly rare”.
Grandmother allegedly taught religious studies to slave
The court has previously heard that members of the Ahmad family moved to Syria via Türkiye at the beginning of 2015 and kept a slave while supporting IS.
Prosecutors on Monday alleged Mrs Ahmad taught religious studies to the slave, who was a member of the Yazidi ethnic minority persecuted by the terrorist group.
“Kawsar would not do anything against me but always told me if I did not study, my end would be in hell,” Detective Senior Constable Marc Clendenning told the court, reading a statement from the complainant.
“I felt threatened by her.“
The court heard that Mrs Ahmad also taught other IS supporters.
Mrs Ahmad, her daughters, and some grandchildren were placed in two Kurdish-run detainment camps in the country’s north-west for about six years from 2019.
Detective Senior Constable Clendenning agreed that he was not aware of any efforts by Mrs Ahmad to indoctrinate others in those camps.
Dr Davis said the deaths of Mrs Ahmad’s brother and two of her sons, who were said to be martyred in Syria, “probably contributed to her current, very negative view of Islamic State”.
The court on Friday heard Mrs Ahmad had denounced IS.
