Australian Women Charged with Keeping Slave After Supporting ISIS in Syria

Two Australian women who traveled to Syria in 2014 to support Islamic State have been charged with keeping a female slave, immediately after their return from a Syrian detention camp.

Thu May 07 2026

Australian Women Arrested and Charged in Melbourne

Two Australian women were charged in Melbourne on Friday with "keeping a female slave" after traveling to Syria in 2014 to support Islamic State (IS). The women returned to Australia on Thursday evening for the first time in almost a decade, traveling from a Syrian detention camp where they had been stranded after the group's collapse. They were immediately arrested after their Qatar Airways flight landed at Melbourne International Airport.

Stranded in Syria Camp After ISIS Collapse

The women had been stranded in a Syrian detention camp after the collapse of Islamic State, awaiting repatriation to Australia for a considerable period. Police stated that the women are a mother and daughter. This arrest and charging demonstrate the Australian authorities' firm stance against its citizens' involvement with overseas terrorist organizations.

*Source: SCMP (2026-05-07)*

Tags: #Australia #Islamic State #Syria #Terrorism #Human Trafficking