Nineteen Australian women and children linked to Islamic State have been quietly processed at Sydney and Melbourne airports and allowed out into the community after more than seven years trapped in camps in Syria, with no charges being laid.
At Melbourne airport, video taken by a News Corporation photographer appeared to show Abraham Abbas, the brother of so-called ISIS bride Kawsar Abbas, pushing the camera into the photographer’s face as he captured returning woman Kirsty Rosse-Emile and her two children.
It’s the second time that Melbourne-based family members of the ISIS returnees have been involved in altercations with the media, after another scuffle when a group of women arrived on May 7.
In a statement, NSW and Victoria joint counter-terrorism teams said the women and children had been “subject to a range of operational responses, including the searching of belongings and the downloading of their devices for investigative purposes.
“No one arriving within this cohort has been charged, however, investigations into the activities of Australians who travelled to Syria – including those who have since returned – are ongoing.
