Two Australian Women in Jail for Crimes in Syria
Two Australian Women in Jail for Crimes in Syria
Introduction
Two Australian women are in jail. Police say they did bad things to other people in Syria.
Main Body
Kawsar Abbas is 53 years old. Her daughter, Zeinab Ahmad, is 31. Police arrested them at the Melbourne airport. Police say the women lived in Syria from 2017 to 2018. They say the women bought a woman as a slave for $10,000. This is a very serious crime. The women want to leave jail now. They will ask the judge for this in June. The police do not want them to leave because the crimes are about terrorism.
Conclusion
The women must stay in jail until the judge decides in June.
Learning
š Talking About Time
In this story, we see how to describe when things happen using simple words.
1. Specific Years We use "from... to..." to show a start and an end.
- Example: "lived in Syria from 2017 to 2018"
- Pattern: from [Year A] ā to [Year B]
2. Future Dates When something will happen later, we use "in" + [Month].
- Example: "ask the judge for this in June"
- Pattern: in + [Month/Year]
3. Age To say how old someone is, we use the verb "to be".
- Kawsar Abbas is 53 years old.
- Zeinab Ahmad is 31.
Quick vocabulary from the text:
- Jail a place for people who break the law.
- Judge the person who decides if someone is guilty.
Vocabulary Learning
Court Case Over Alleged Human Rights Abuses by Australians in Syria
Introduction
Two Australian women are being held in prison after being accused of slavery and crimes against humanity while living in Syria.
Main Body
The legal case involves 53-year-old Kawsar Abbas and her 31-year-old daughter, Zeinab Ahmad. Both women were arrested by a counter-terrorism team when they arrived at Melbourne airport. The prosecution claims that the two women lived in the Deir ez-Zor province of Syria from June 2017 to November 2018. During this time, they allegedly kept a woman as a slave in their home. Specifically, it is claimed that Abbas paid $10,000 USD to buy the slave. The charges include slave trading and enslavement, which the prosecution emphasized were part of a wider attack on civilians. Regarding the legal process, the defendants have delayed their first requests for bail. Zeinab Ahmad will apply for bail on June 4, and Kawsar Abbas is expected to apply on June 16. Abbas's lawyer, Peter Morrissey SC, stated that the decision on the daughter's application will likely influence the mother's strategy. Furthermore, the Australian Federal Police are expected to oppose these requests because the crimes are linked to terrorism. Meanwhile, another woman, Janai Safar, was arrested in Sydney for joining a terrorist group, while a fourth person, Zahra Ahmad, was released without any charges.
Conclusion
The two women will stay in custody until their bail hearings take place in June.
Learning
āļø The Power of "Allegedly"
At an A2 level, you usually say things are facts: "She bought a slave." But to reach B2, you must learn how to describe things that are not yet proven. In legal and professional English, we use "Hedge Language" to avoid making false accusations.
The Key word: Allegedly In the text, we see: "they allegedly kept a woman as a slave."
Why this moves you toward B2: Using allegedly (or it is claimed that...) changes your sentence from a simple statement of fact to a sophisticated report. It shows the listener that you understand the difference between a charge and a conviction.
š ļø How to upgrade your sentences
| A2 (Basic Fact) | B2 (Nuanced Report) | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| They stole the money. | They allegedly stole the money. | You are protecting yourself from lying if they are innocent. |
| He lied on the form. | It is claimed that he lied on the form. | You are attributing the information to a source (the prosecution). |
š Spotting the Pattern
Look at these two phrases from the article:
- "...being accused of slavery..."
- "...alleged human rights abuses..."
Both of these function as "safety nets." Instead of saying "These are human rights abuses" (which is a final judgment), the author says "alleged abuses." This is a hallmark of B2 level precision: Accuracy over Simplicity.
Vocabulary Learning
Judicial Proceedings Regarding Alleged Human Rights Violations by Australian Nationals in Syria.
Introduction
Two Australian women have been remanded in custody following allegations of slavery and crimes against humanity committed during their residence in Syria.
Main Body
The legal proceedings involve Kawsar Abbas (also known as Kawsar Ahmad), aged 53, and her daughter, Zeinab Ahmad, aged 31. Both individuals were detained by the Victorian joint counter-terrorism team upon their arrival at Melbourne airport. The prosecution alleges that the defendants resided in the Deir ez-Zor province of Syria between June 2017 and November 2018, during which time they purportedly maintained an enslaved female within their domicile. Specifically, it is alleged that Abbas facilitated the acquisition of a slave for a sum of US$10,000. The charges include enslavement, slave trading, and the possession and use of a slave, with the prosecution asserting that these actions constituted part of a systemic attack against a civilian population. Regarding the procedural trajectory, the defendants deferred their initial bail applications. Zeinab Ahmad is scheduled to apply for bail on June 4, while Kawsar Abbas's application is anticipated for June 16. Legal counsel for Abbas, Peter Morrissey SC, indicated that the outcome of the daughter's application would likely inform the strategy for the mother's bid. The Australian Federal Police are expected to oppose these applications on the grounds that the offenses are terrorism-related. Parallel to these events, a third returnee, Janai Safar, was arrested in Sydney and charged with membership in a terrorist organization and unauthorized entry into a prohibited area; her bail application was denied. A fourth individual, Zahra Ahmad, was released without charge.
Conclusion
The defendants remain in custody pending further bail hearings in June.
Learning
The Architecture of 'Legal Distancing' and Epistemic Hedging
To transition from B2 (competent) to C2 (mastery), a student must move beyond simple vocabulary and grasp Register Nuance. In this text, the primary linguistic phenomenon is not the legal terminology itself, but the strategic detachment employed through specific syntactic structures.
ā The 'Purported' Reality: Modal Verbs vs. Lexical Hedges
At B2, a student might say: "They probably had a slave." At C2, we utilize Lexical Hedging to maintain judicial neutrality. Note the usage of:
- "Purportedly maintained"
- "Alleged human rights violations"
- "Asserting that these actions constituted..."
These aren't just adjectives; they are epistemic markers. They signal that the writer is reporting a claim without endorsing it as fact. In C2 English, especially in academic or legal spheres, claiming a fact without a hedge is often seen as a lack of sophistication or a breach of objectivity.
ā Nominalization and Agency Erasure
Observe the phrase: "Regarding the procedural trajectory..."
Instead of saying "As the court process moves forward" (which uses a verb and implies a natural flow), the author transforms the entire process into a noun phrase ("procedural trajectory"). This is a hallmark of C2 writing: Nominalization. By turning actions into objects, the text achieves a level of formality that strips away personal emotion and emphasizes the systemic nature of the proceedings.
ā Precision in Collocation: The 'Bail' Ecosystem
Notice the specific verbs paired with legal concepts:
- Deferred an application (not 'postponed').
- Inform the strategy (not 'help' or 'change').
- Oppose on the grounds that... (not 'argue against').
C2 Mastery Insight: The word inform here is used in its high-level senseāmeaning to provide the underlying logic or basis for a subsequent decision. This is the difference between communicating a message and sculpting a narrative.