Advertisement

Accused ‘ISIS bride’ renounces terrorists, lawyer says

Source: Victoria Police

A woman accused of travelling to Syria, joining the Islamic State and marrying several of its members has renounced the terror group and violent jihad, her lawyer says.

Rayann El Houli, 34, was due to apply for bail in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday morning but her barrister Peter Morrissey SC sought an adjournment.

He told the court the prosecution had raised concerns about El Houli’s risk of endangering the community, claiming there was a lack of evidence she had renounced IS.

Morrissey said he needed more time to obtain the relevant material but he was instructed to make a statement on behalf of his client.

“She renounces ISIS and violent jihad,” he told the court.

“She wants nothing to do with it – not now, not in the future, not directly and not indirectly, not for herself and not for the people she loves, and especially not for her children.”

Last Thursday, El Houli was charged by Australian Federal Police with travelling to a declared conflict zone and joining the terrorist organisation Islamic State.

Police allege she travelled to Syria between 2013 and 2014 before being detained by Kurdish forces in 2019 and held with her family at the al-Hawl detention camp in north-east Syria.

The 34-year-old travelled through Lebanon with her children and another woman and returned to Australia in September.

Chief Magistrate Lisa Hannan on Monday outlined some of the allegations against El Houli, including that she intentionally travelled to Syria to join IS.

It’s also alleged she married several of the group’s members and expressed radicalised views while in Syria, including supporting acts of martyrdom and the killing of non-believers.

Police also claim El Houli left Syria only when IS was defeated and not because of any change in views.

Morrissey told the court El Houli had renounced the terror group, which was evidenced by his statement to the court and her decision to return to Australia.

El Houli also showed her face on Monday as a “matter of good faith” to the court after first appearing in a burqa on Thursday, Morrissey said.

“It’s quite a big deal,” he said.

Morrissey accepted El Houli had not yet engaged in anti-terrorism programs but said she would be willing to undertake any courses suggested by the prosecution.

The defence was also looking to engage a risk assessment expert to assess El Houli before the bail application proceeded, Morrissey said.

Hannan supported that idea, saying the views El Houli was accused of expressing were “extremely concerning”.

“These are very serious charges and the risk is serious indeed,” she said.

The bail application was adjourned to a date to be fixed, with El Houli remanded behind bars.

-AAP

Want to see more stories from The New Daily in your Google search results?

  1. Click here to set The New Daily as a preferred source.
  2. Tick the box next to "The New Daily". That's it.
Advertisement
Stay informed, daily
A FREE subscription to The New Daily arrives every morning and evening.
The New Daily is a trusted source of national news and information and is provided free for all Australians. Read our editorial charter.
Copyright © 2026 The New Daily.
All rights reserved.