Police fear a so-called ISIS bride who recently returned to Australia will spread extremist ideology if she is freed on bail, but her lawyer says that will not be the case.
Kawsar Ahmad, 54, is facing charges of enslavement, possessing a slave, using a slave and engaging in slave trading.
She was among a group of women who arrived back in Australia in May, having travelled to Syria a decade earlier and lived under the former Islamic State regime.
The women are often referred to by the media as ISIS brides.
Earlier this week, Ms Ahmad’s daughter, Zeinab, was denied bail by Victoria’s Chief Magistrate Lisa Hannan.
On Friday, Ms Ahmad came before the same magistrate to apply for bail, with her legal team saying she should be allowed to live with relatives while her case moves through the courts.
The hearing was cut short when prosecutors told the court a new risk assessment of Ms Ahmad had been conducted by authorities, but the document was not yet ready to be provided to the magistrate.
“If I don’t have the information, what am I to conclude?” Magistrate Hannan said.
Magistrate Hannan said the court was entitled to have full knowledge when it needed to make an “especially difficult” bail decision.
Prosecutor Andrew Sprague said his legal team did not even have a copy of the risk assessment document, and that other law enforcement agencies may seek to make redactions on public interest immunity grounds before it was released to the court.
Earlier, Ms Ahmad, wearing a brown hijab, was brought into the court dock and warmly greeted by members of her family who sat in the public gallery.
Defence barrister Peter Morrissey SC said Ms Ahmad no longer supported Islamic State.
In a colourful turn of phrase, he said Ms Ahmad held the view that “ISIS sucks”.
“She does expressly denounce Islamic State as a disgraceful organisation,”
he said.
However, Australian Federal Police officer Marc Clendenning said he believed Ms Ahmad was not being genuine.
He said there were risks she could spread terrorist ideology to family members and others visiting the proposed bail house.
“Police hold serious concerns the accused will endanger the safety and welfare of other persons if released,” he said.
The court heard Ms Ahmad was married to a former Islamic State fighter, and police allege she previously held a role as a religious teacher.
Alleged ‘anti-Western’ Facebook posts
Ms Ahmad was the matriarch of an Australian family who travelled to Syria.
Her husband, Mohammed Ahmad, was an IS fighter and repeatedly sexually assaulted a Yazidi teenager who was kept as a slave after she was bought for $US10,000.
The complainant alleged Ms Ahmad approved of the slave arrangement and often threatened her.
According to police, Ms Ahmad told her, “I want you to be taught how to use weapons, according to the Daesh beliefs, we should be the same, whatever they do, we have to do the same”.
Senior Constable Clendenning said the complainant and another witness, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, opposed Ms Ahmad being released into the community.
He said both women were overseas.
Police also referenced Facebook posts and messages Ms Ahmad allegedly made while in Syria.
The posts declared support for terrorist groups and demonstrated an “anti-Western position”, police alleged.
After Ms Ahmad’s son was killed, she called him a martyr and said she was comforted that Allah gave her “precious time” with him.
In another post, she also allegedly wrote, “Death awaits us all … but we are longing for it and feel it’s very close”.
Mr Morrissey, for the defence, said the case could be hit with delays because prosecutors and the defence could request further information from various agencies and overseas governments — a process that could take years.
The case was adjourned until Monday.
