Key points
- A woman from NSW has been arrested for entering and remaining in Syria when it was controlled by the Islamic State.
- She returned to Australia in October 2022 as part of the Australian government's controversial repatriation plan.
- If convicted she could face up to 10 years in jail.
Returned NSW woman Mariam Raad has been charged with entering and remaining in parts of Syria that were under the control of self-proclaimed Islamic State.
Police say new evidence was obtained that allowed the police to chargeMs Raad, who they had been investigating since her time in Syria and subsequent return to Australia.
Australian Federal Police and the NSW Police NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT) arrested the woman after executing search warrants in Parklea and Young, where she currently lives in the state's southwest, on Thursday morning.
Ms Raad has been charged with entering, or remaining in, declared areas - an offence that carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence.
She will face Wagga Wagga Local Court later on Thursday.
Police allege Ms Raad, who was recently living in Young, travelled to Syria in early 2014 to join her husband who left Australia in 2013 and joined IS.
It will also be alleged she was aware of her husband's activities with the the group and willingly travelled to the conflict region.
Ms Raad's husband Muhammad Zahab, a former Sydney maths teacher who rose through the IS ranks, is believed to have died in Syria in 2018.
The woman later moved to Al Roj Internally Displaced Persons camp in northern Syria under Kurdish control before returning to Australia in October 2022 as part of the Australian government's controversial repatriation plan.
She was reportedly insistent to the ABC in 2018 that she knew nothing about her husband's work.
"We're, like, now emotionless. I would say probably I was angry [at him]," she told the public broadcaster from a Syrian camp.
She was charged after an investigation by the Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT) that began when she was in Syria and continued following her return to Australia.
NSW Police's counter-terrorism commander said the community's safety was of utmost priority.
"We have zero tolerance for Australians - or anyone - who seek to commit acts of violence or extremism and those considering doing the wrong thing will come under our notice," Assistant Commissioner Mark Walton said.
The federal police commander tasked with monitoring "enduring" risks said the JCTT would continue to investigate Australians returning from declared conflict areas
"Individuals will be brought before the courts when evidence supports allegations that returned individuals have committed offences in conflict areas," Acting Assistant Commissioner Sandra Booth said.
"The JCTT will continue to target criminal activity and does not target specific ideologies or beliefs".
The NSW JCTT comprises members of the AFP, NSW Police, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the NSW Crime Commission.
Police said there was no current or impending threat to the Australian community related to Ms Raad.
Ms Raad's arrest comes after the federal government repatriated the four women and 13 children from Syria's Al-Roj camp three months ago.
The decision from the Department of Home Affairs to repatriate the group stoked criticism from the opposition and some community groups with fears they pose a threat to Australia.
Upon their arrival to Australia, the women released a statement pledging total cooperation with Australian law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety of all Australians.
It's believed that more than 40 Australians, including children, remain in Syria's camps who continue to live in squalid conditions since the fall of IS in 2019.
