Overview
- Kawsar Ahmad was arrested on return to Australia in May and faces four slavery‑related charges over alleged conduct in Syria while her family supported Islamic State.
- On Monday a forensic psychologist told the Melbourne Magistrates' Court she has major depressive disorder, anxiety and PTSD and assessed a low empirical risk of re‑radicalisation.
- The defence says Ahmad disavows Islamic State, has begun divorce proceedings and offered strict bail conditions including a curfew, phone limits and an agreement to avoid mosques.
- Prosecutors relied on a complainant statement read in court that alleges Ahmad taught a Yazidi teenager and argued the conduct formed part of Islamic State’s crimes against humanity.
- A magistrate is expected to rule later this week and the case highlights practical hurdles in using conflict‑zone testimony as domestic evidence and the wider challenge of balancing public safety with reintegration.