Australian woman accused of joining Islamic State group has renounced jihad, her lawyer says
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An Australian woman charged with joining the Islamic State group expressed views supporting terrorist acts and killing of non-believers, attempted to indoctrinate her children and recruited others to join her in Syria, according to allegations made in
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An Australian woman charged with joining the Islamic State group expressed views supporting terrorist acts and killing of non-believers, attempted to indoctrinate her children and recruited others to join her in Syria, according to allegations made in court Monday.
A defense lawyer for Rayann El Houli said expert evidence would be produced in court that her views had changed.
“She renounces ISIS and violent jihad,” Peter Morrissey said, using an acronym for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. “She wants nothing to do with it: not now directly or indirectly. Not in the future. Not for herself. Not for the people she loves and specifically not for the children."
El Houli, 34, applied for release on bail in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on charges that she joined a terrorist organization and entered and remained in Raqqa, Syria, more than a decade ago when it was the stronghold of the IS so-called caliphate.
Chief Magistrate Lisa Hannan outlined allegations within the prosecution’s summary of evidence that she wanted Morrissey to address in the bail hearing.
El Houli allegedly traveled to Syria between 2013 and 2014 with the intention of joining IS fighters.
“The accused expressed radicalized views while in Syria, including support for terrorist acts. She supported acts of martyrdom whilst in Syria. She repeatedly expressed views that supported the killing or serious injury of non-believers,” Hannan said.
She tried to indoctrinate her children and invited people living in Australia go to Syria for the “purposes of following a life and making decisions based on IS or other extremist ideology,” Hannan said.
