Developments

Rayann El Houli, 34, was taken into custody after appearing in Melbourne Magistrates' Court accused of travelling to Syria and joining the Islamic State. Police say she was arrested at her home eight months after returning to Australia via Lebanon with her children and another woman. She faces charges of entering and remaining in a declared conflict zone and of joining a terrorist organisation, each carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; her bail application is due to be heard on Monday. Her lawyer said she suffers from PTSD and urged priority be given to reuniting her with her children.

The arrest comes amid a series of recent repatriations from camps in northeastern Syria, including the Roj and al-Hol displacement camps, that have prompted multiple police investigations and criminal charges for some returnees. Authorities say several women and children returned to Australia in recent weeks, and some have been charged on arrival with slavery and terrorism offences. Police allege El Houli travelled to Syria in 2013–2014, was captured by Kurdish forces in 2019 and held in al-Hol before returning to Australia in September; other returnees remain under investigation, officials said. as reported by AP News

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