SydneyReuters —
Australian police said on Friday they had charged two women linked to the Islamic State extremist group with slavery offenses after they returned overnight from Syria, where they had been detained in a refugee camp for more than seven years.
The women, aged 53 and 31, face crimes against humanity charges including owning and using a slave in Syria, which carry a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. They were arrested at Melbourne airport on Thursday upon their arrival.
“This remains an active investigation into very serious allegations,” Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Counter Terrorism Stephen Nutt said in a statement.
Both…