Uncle denounces ISIS during accused bride’s bail bid
Tara Cosoleto |
The uncle of an accused Islamic State bride has told a magistrate he hates the “evil” terrorist group as he supported his niece’s bid for bail.
Abraham Abbas gave evidence in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday as Zeinab Ahmad’s bail application went into a second day.
Ahmad, 31, is accused of using a teenage girl as a slave while living in Syria with her family in 2017.
It’s alleged she moved to the country with her husband Dawod in January 2015 and he became a member of IS before he was killed in a drone strike in May 2016.
Ahmad and her mother Kawsar, 52, were among a group of alleged “ISIS brides” and their children who returned to Australia in May.
She was arrested at Melbourne Airport and charged with offences of enslavement and using a slave.
Her uncle Abraham Abbas on Friday told the court IS did not represent anything he and his family believed in.
“I hate those bastards – sorry Your Honour, sorry for the language,” he said in evidence.
“They’re evil.”
Police allege it was while living with her family in 2017 that Ahmad’s father Mohammad bought a teenage girl as a slave for $US10,000.
It’s alleged the girl was repeatedly raped and beaten by Mohammad, including an incident where she was hit and dragged down two flights of stairs by the hair.
The girl claimed she screamed loudly during the incidents so Ahmad and the other family members would have known what was happening, the court was told.
It is not alleged Ahmad assaulted the girl but the teen claims she was “treated very badly” by her.
The girl allegedly lived with the Ahmad family for 16 months before she was sold in November 2018.
Mr Abbas told the court Ahmad could live with him and his family if she was granted bail and he was willing to put forward $75,000 as a surety to the court.
Detective Senior Constable Marc Clendenning told the court he held no concerns about Mr Abbas or the suggested bail address.
But the detective still opposed bail, telling the court Ahmad’s beliefs remained unknown so she posed a risk to the community.
Defence barrister Grace Morgan put forward the possibility of a control order, which would allow federal police to monitor Ahmad through electronic monitoring if she was released.
Ahmad had consented to the order being made but Victoria Police Detective Sergeant Matthew Archer told the court it was not possible.
“It is not available for a person who has been charged and is before the courts,” he said in evidence.
The application was adjourned to June 15, where another police witness is expected to give evidence before the parties make submissions.
Chief Magistrate Lisa Hannan will then decide on the bail application.
AAP