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ABC News
ABC News
National
crime reporter Lia Harris and Kathleen Calderwood

Returned ISIS wife Mariam Raad granted bail after being charged over 2014 travel to Syria

The lawyer for a repatriated "ISIS bride" — who has been charged over her travel to Syria — says her night in custody was "terrible" and the first she had spent away from her children. 

Mariam Raad faced Griffith Local Court on Friday morning, charged with entering or remaining in an area controlled by the so-called Islamic State (IS) group in 2014.

She returned to Australia in October last year.

The 31-year-old applied for bail based on "exceptional circumstances", telling the court she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder because of her time in Syria.

Ms Raad's defence lawyer argued there was "no evidence" she was an ongoing threat to people, and had strong ties to her community in Young.

"Even through war, the hell that they went through, [she] and her children were not separated during her time. [Thursday night] was the first night she spent in a cell, separated from her children," her lawyer, Moustafa Kheir, said. 

"I've spoken to her and it was a terrible experience both for her and her children."

The registrar granted Ms Raad bail under strict conditions and warned that if she breached any of those she would be arrested again and said, in that instance, her chances of getting bail would be "very slim".

"All government agencies assessed Mariam to be no risk before she was repatriated, and that was confirmed today by the court by granting her bail," Mr Kheir said.

"Mariam doesn't pose a risk to society. Her charge and allegation is that she remained there [in Syria] after the government decided that it was illegal for her to stay there, but that was after she was already there.

"It's common knowledge that where she was — was that designated zone — was somewhere people were killed for trying to flee."

Ms Raad is expected to appear in court again in March.

Four Australian women and 13 children were repatriated from the Syrian Al Roj camp to Sydney in October last year.

At the time, Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said the repatriation was informed by national security advice, considering "the range of security, community and welfare factors".

The women were all married or related to IS fighters who are now dead or in jail.

Ms Raad's husband is believed to have died in 2018.

She was charged after a joint investigation between New South Wales police and the Australian Federal Police that began when she entered Syria and continued after her return.

The agencies allegedly used newly obtained evidence to charge her.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said there had been no threat to the community since Ms Raad had returned to Australia.

"Our assurance for the Australian people … is we will always do what is in the interest of community safety and making these decisions for the right reasons and well founded decisions," he told ABC News Breakfast, "so people can expect us to continue to monitor and take all the necessary steps."

The deputy opposition leader, Sussan Ley, said the development showed it was not in the national interest to bring back "ISIS brides", saying the federal government needed to confirm whether further repatriations would occur.

"I cannot believe that we are seeing a woman charged with serious terror offences, who arrived in Australia in October last year in a community that was never even mentioned in regional Australia," Ms Ley said.

"My questions to Anthony Albanese today are: 'What advice are you following now?' And, 'What assurances can you give to communities?'

"'Will this policy of repatriations continue?' and if so, 'Where will the individuals be settled?'"

There are still around 40 Australia women and children in Syrian displaced persons camps, yet to be repatriated.

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