A Yazidi woman has testified in an Australian court that she was enslaved by a family linked to the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria, enduring repeated rape and beatings at the hands of the father. The allegations emerged during a bail hearing for Zeinab Ahmad, 31, who faces two slavery charges in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court. The hearing is set to resume on Friday.
Background of the Case
Zeinab Ahmad and her mother, Kawsar Ahmad, 53, also known as Kawsar Abbas, have been in custody since returning to Australia from a Syrian refugee camp last month. They were part of a group of Australian women and children repatriated from camps associated with the Islamic State group.
The Yazidi witness, who cannot be named for legal reasons, provided a statement to police detailing her ordeal. Detective Senior Constable Mark Clendenning told the court that Mohammed Ahmad, Zeinab's father and Kawsar's husband, purchased the witness for $10,000 in 2017 in Raqqa, Syria, which was then a stronghold of the Islamic State.
Allegations of Enslavement
Clendenning alleged that Kawsar was involved in buying the teenager as a slave, a role rarely undertaken by women within the IS caliphate. "Mohammed and Kawsar had status and privileges within Islamic State usually not afforded to others that allowed exceptions to their usual practices," he said.
The witness was brought into a house shared by the couple and their five daughters, including Zeinab, with whom she shared a bedroom. According to Clendenning, Mohammed told the witness, "I bought you for the purpose of raping and at the same time serving the home." He also introduced her to the family, stating, "I bought her for sex and to do housework."
Details of Abuse
Police alleged that Zeinab was present when her father hit the witness and dragged her by the hair down two flights of stairs. Mohammed reportedly beat the witness two or three times a month while the family watched. The witness said she was sexually assaulted "many times" despite her resistance.
Regarding Zeinab, the witness stated that she "did not physically hurt her, although she did threaten her very badly and ordered her to do things around the house," Clendenning alleged.
Sale and Subsequent Ordeal
After 16 months, Mohammed sold the witness for another $10,000 in 2018, telling her she was "bad" and did not obey orders. The witness was among approximately 6,800 Yazidi women and children enslaved by IS. She was traded 17 times over five years before being freed by Kurdish forces in 2019.
Family Background
The Ahmad family, originally from Melbourne, moved to Syria via Turkey between 2013 and 2014. Zeinab traveled with her husband in 2014. Her first husband was killed in a drone attack in 2016, and she later married an Egyptian IS fighter who had lost an arm in combat.
Bail Hearing and Charges
Clendenning argued that releasing Zeinab on bail would pose an unacceptable risk to public safety. She has been married to multiple IS members and is currently wed to an Egyptian IS fighter whose whereabouts are unknown. "The accused has never explicitly renounced or stated that she no longer supports Islamic State since her surrender to Kurdish forces," he said.
Zeinab Ahmad faces two charges of crimes against humanity: enslavement and using a slave. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. The hearing continues.
