Australian woman charged with joining Islamic State after Syria camp return

An Australian woman, 34, has been charged with allegedly joining the Islamic State and entering a declared conflict zone, authorities announced Thursday. She returned to Australia in September after being held in a Syrian refugee camp since her detention by Kurdish forces in March 2019.

The Australian Federal Police stated the woman allegedly traveled to Syria between 2013 and 2014 with others, including a man believed to be in a Middle Eastern prison, to join the Islamic State. She is expected to appear in a Melbourne court on Thursday, facing offenses that carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Her return to Australia from Lebanon, along with another 36-year-old woman, is part of ongoing investigations into recent adult female returnees from Syrian camps. The AFP emphasized that a period without charges does not mean investigations have ceased.

These charges come after two other women were recently returned and charged with slavery-related offenses and terror offenses, including allegedly joining the Islamic State. A second group of Australian women and children also arrived this month without immediate charges. The government has faced criticism from political opponents regarding the return of these individuals, asserting that citizens have a right to re-enter the country and that the government did not facilitate their travel.

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It is important to note that a period of time without charges being laid is not an indicator that investigations have ceased.