A woman accused of marrying two Islamic State fighters has been denied bail for a second time in Australia, as she faces terrorism-related charges following her return from Syria. Janai Samarra Safar, 32, was arrested in May after arriving in Australia with a group of women and children from a Syrian refugee camp.
Safar has been charged with entering a prohibited area and being a member of a terrorist organization, offenses that carry a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment. She has been detained for two months since her arrest.
During a bail hearing on Wednesday, Safar's barrister argued for her release, citing psychological distress caused by segregation in detention. He stated that Safar had suffered considerable psychological injury and trauma from seven years in a refugee camp with inadequate food and pressure to conform to the Islamic State's ideology. Her legal representative told the court that Safar now disavows the IS ideology and any past affiliations, which she could not express in Syria due to fear of retribution.
Her defense also indicated that Safar has a strong family support network in New South Wales that could aid her recovery. The defense challenged the prosecution's case, which reportedly relies on a newspaper article detailing Safar's life in the camp, suggesting the article misrepresented her client and may not be admissible in court.
However, the prosecution countered that a video recording of the interview, along with text messages between Safar and her father, bolster the veracity of the claims. Crown prosecutor Brian Massone presented texts where Safar allegedly stated, "I said my husband has weapons because if I said I didn't they would know I am lying," in reference to the newspaper article. The prosecution argued that both the article's content and the text messages align with Islamic State ideology. Massone emphasized Safar's surreptitious travel to a declared area in Syria, aware of its link to an organization responsible for severe atrocities, and highlighted that she married two IS-affiliated fighters. Expert evidence suggests that women in such organizations possess agency and are not merely passive participants.
Judge Marguerite Vassall denied the bail request, citing the strength of the prosecution's case. The court noted that Safar has commenced treatment in custody and is scheduled to consult with a psychiatrist. Safar has not yet entered a plea to the charges.
She is among several women charged as a result of an investigation spanning nearly a decade, initiated after they traveled to the Middle East with partners intending to join the Islamic State. While some women are believed to have traveled willingly, advocates suggest others were coerced or traveled to keep their families together.
Another woman arrested in connection with the investigation, Rayann El Houli, 34, recently applied for bail in Melbourne. Allegations surfaced during her hearing that she attempted to indoctrinate children with extremist propaganda. A decision on her bail application is expected.
