Rayann El Houli, a Victorian woman known as one of the so-called "ISIS brides," was granted bail by a Melbourne court on Monday, July 20th, 2026.

El Houli, 34, has been in custody for about two months after being charged in May 2026 with being a member of a terrorist organisation and entering a declared area. She returned to Australia last year following her time living under Islamic State rule in Syria, where she had travelled about a decade ago with her late husband and children.

Lawyers for El Houli have stated she intends to fight the charges, which carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Defence barrister Peter Morrissey said El Houli is attempting to move on with her life and focus on caring for her four children while managing mental and physical health issues.

Magistrate Sonnet, who granted bail, noted that videos El Houli allegedly showed her children were "truly disturbing." Despite this, the magistrate ruled that strict bail conditions could be imposed to mitigate risks to the community.

Police confirmed that since El Houli's return to Australia in September 2025, she had been under strict monitoring and had committed no offences prior to her arrest eight months later.

Sources