The Melbourne ISIS brides have hatched plans to get bail and be freed back into the community while facing serious terror-related charges.

Flanked by custody officers, Kawsar Abbas, 53, and Zeinab Ahmed, 31, were each separately brought into the dock for a brief hearing before Chief Magistrate Lisa Hannan on Friday morning.

The mother and daughter will spend the next three nights in prison before launching an application for bail on Monday.

Australian Federal Police officers escort one of the ISIS brides after their arrest at the Melbourne airport. Picture: Australian Federal Police

A second woman was also arrested at the airport. Picture: AFP
The court heard the pair must prove ‘exceptional circumstances’ to be released back into the community.

The prosecutor told the court Ms Abbas, a grandmother, “is someone who made a statement or carried out activities in support of terrorist acts in the meaning of the criminal code”.

He said evidence would be put to the court that would “uplift” the matter to be categorised as terrorism-related.

Both women were represented by high profile criminal lawyers, Bill Doogue and Maya George.

Mr Doogue defended convicted triple-killer Erin Patterson in the mushroom murder trial.

Lawyers Bill Doogue and Maya George (behind) are representing the women. Picture: Josie Hayden

A supporter of the women leaves the court. Picture: Josie Hayden

A group of supporters leave the courtroom. Picture: Josie Hayden
Ms Hannan forewarned the bail application would be “complicated” and the summary of alleged offending alone would take 90 minutes to read.

An interim suppression order was also made to protect the identity of a woman who has provided evidence to investigators and is known to both of the accused ISIS brides.

Charge sheets released to the Herald Sun allege that both women “intentionally exercised any or all of the power attaching to the right of ownership” of a slave in Mayadin, Hajin, Gharanji, Bahra, Abu Hamam, Walaa and other places in the Deir ez-Zu province of Syria between June 2017 and November 2018.

The charge alleges the “conduct was committed intentionally or knowingly as part of a widespread or systemic attack directed against a civil population.”

Ms Abbas is also accused of trading a slave in the Deir ez-Zu province on June 1, 2017.

Mr Doogue declined to speak to media as he left court after the brief remand hearing.

No custody management issues were noted for either woman.

The pair were arrested after they touched down in Melbourne on Thursday evening while Zahra Ahmed, 33 — the daughter of Kawsar and sister of Zeinab — was released without charge.

A fourth ISIS bride, Janai Safar, 32, spent her first night behind bars after flying into Sydney where she was arrested.
AFP officers arrested two ISIS brides at Melbourne airport
The Australian Federal Police on Friday said Ms Abbas and Ms Ahmed had been charged by the Victoria Joint Counter Terrorism Team with crimes against humanity offences allegedly committed in Syria.

Ms Abbas has been charged with crimes against humanity, enslavement, possess a slave, use a slave and engage in slave trading.

Zeinab has been charged with crimes against humanity, enslavement and use a slave.

Each of the offences carries a maximum penalty of 25 years imprisonment.

Police will allege Ms Abbas travelled to Syria in 2014 with her husband and children, and was complicit in the purchase of a female slave for US$10,000, and knowingly kept the woman in the home.

It’s alleged Zeinab also knowingly kept a female slave in the home.

An ISIS-linked woman is escorted out of Melbourne airport on Thursday. Picture: Jason Edwards

There was chaos at the airport. Picture: Jason Edwards.

An ISIS-linked grandmother and her daughter were charged on Friday morning. Picture: Jason Edwards

PM: ‘Throw the book at them’

The charges came as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government could not prevent the women from returning to Australia but would now “throw the book” at them.

“We actually support the rule of law — Australian citizens are entitled to Australian passports, they’re entitled to come into Australia,” Mr Albanese told Nova Melbourne on Friday.

“What we’re entitled to do, though, is to throw the book at them, and that’s precisely what we’re doing.”

Mr Albanese said he had faith in authorities to ensure the women were hit with the “full force of the law”.

“I’ll allow them to do their job,” he said.

“Australian citizens do have rights, but we have a right as a government to ensure that the law is upheld, and these people will face the full force of the law.”

Mr Albanese said he felt for the children but had “zero sympathy” for their mothers.

“They’re victims of their parents,” he said.

The Qatar Airways plane carrying ISIS brides at Melbourne Airport. Picture: AFP

ISIS brides on-board the flight. Picture: ABC News
Asked what welfare benefits the group would be entitled to, Mr Albanese replied “a few of them are in the clink”.

While Mr Albanese said it was “appropriate” for the children to undergo reintegration programs, he could not guarantee that they would.

“We’ll deal with these issues in an appropriate way,” he said.

“It is appropriate that they undergo support children who’ve been … exposed to all sorts of horrors in those camps, those camps with a big presence of ISIS and that terrible, horrific ideology which seeks to destroy our way of life.”

Dramatic scenes at airport

Friday’s developments follow dramatic scenes at Melbourne airport after Ms Abbas, her two adult daughters, as well as eight children, arrived in Melbourne on a Qatar flight around 5.30pm after fleeing the al-Roj detention camp in Syria’s northeast.

Ms Abbas and Zeinab were arrested by police and taken into custody after landing, while Zahra, was allowed to leave with family.

A bride was led through the Melbourne Airport arrivals gate. Picture: Josie Hayden

There were emotional scenes in Melbourne. Picture: Jason Edwards
A burly security team and family members ushered out a woman — believed to be Zahra — and multiple children to a mini bus.

The woman, a male relative and multiple children were surrounded by police and loved ones who were attempting to shield them.

The children were visibly upset, while the woman sheltered one of the youngest children under her arm.

A little girl with a pink bag was carried by Abraham Abbas, the brother of Kawsar.

Their security repeatedly yelled at journalists and photographers to move out of the way, jostling with media and pushing cameras.

Female journalists were intimidated by some of the men, with one called a “sl-t” while trying to ask questions.

“Shut up, you sl-t,” he said.

Asked about the misogynistic language levelled at the female journalist, Premier Jacinta Allan on Friday described it as “disgraceful”.

“I find that sort of language towards any woman in any workplace disgraceful and unacceptable, regardless of what you do in your work,” she said.

“No one should be subject to that sort of abuse.”

There were also reports that a female reporter was roughed-up reporter in the scuffle, copping a serious blow to the ribs while trying to follow the jostling crowd to a mini bus waiting outside.

Liberal Senator and shadow defence minister James Paterson said the state and federal government, as well as police, owed the public an explanation for the “outrageous and unacceptable” scenes.

Sydney ISIS bride spends night in jail

In Sydney, Ms Safar was arrested and spent Thursday night in Silverwater Women’s prison, arriving at the jail at about 11pm.

She has been charged with allegedly entering and remaining in a declared conflict zone and joining ISIS.

Extraordinary first images emerged showing Janai Safar arriving at Sydney’s Mascot police station on Thursday evening, where she was captured emotionless and staring straight ahead, while a large group of reporters circled the police vehicle.

The Herald Sun earlier reported that Ms Abbas and one of her daughters were expected to be arrested over allegations made by two Yazidi women that they were kept as slaves in the war zone.

Their children will be asked to undergo community integration programs.

Mark Knight’s take on the return of the ISIS brides.

Supporters mass at Melbourne airport

Ahead of the group’s arrival at Tullamarine on Thursday afternoon, a massive group of supporters, understood to be family, friends and security escorts, gathered outside the arrivals gate waiting for the women and children.

The men, dressed in black, with some wearing face masks, said they were there to help the group out of the airport.

Ms Abbas’ husband, Mohammed Ahmad, was suspected by the Australian Federal Police of running a registered charity that funnelled cash to Islamic State.

He previously told the ABC that his family had moved to Turkey to undertake humanitarian work, before travelling to Syria to attend his son’s wedding.

He claimed the family then became trapped, realising his son, Omar, had pledged allegiance to Islamic State.

It is believed he is being held in an Iraqi jail along with other alleged ISIS fighters.

He has previously denied being an IS supporter.

Chaos with pushing and shoving erupted at Melbourne Airport. Picture: Jason Edwards

Janai Safar arriving at Mascot Police Station. Image: Ash Richardson
Ms Abbas’ brother, Melbourne boxing coach Abraham Abbas, also joined the group on their flight to Melbourne.

Mr Abbas was among a small group of Australians who helped the women escape the Al-Roj camp and purchase plane tickets to return to Australia.

Ms Safar, a former nursing student, married an IS militant who was killed in 2017, and gave birth to a son in Syria the year before.

She was located by The Australian in 2019 at the Al-Roj detention camp in northeast Syria.

During that interview, she insisted she did not want to return to Australia, saying she feared prosecution, a lengthy prison sentence and losing custody of her child.

Herald Sun cartoonist Mark Knight’s take on the return of the ISIS brides to crime-plagued Melbourne.
She said she had chosen to travel to Syria because she rejected Western culture and wanted to raise her son in a more conservative environment.

“It was my decision to come here to go away from where women are naked on the street,” she said at the time.

“I don’t want my son to be raised around that.”

Overnight Wednesday, Syrian officials told the ABC the Australian government was the “deciding factor” in the departure of the group from Syria.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed on Wednesday four women and nine children had made plans to travel home. The Albanese government has insisted the cohort received no assistance from Australia and would face the “full force of the law” upon arrival.