High Court overturns acquittal of Adelaide Islamic State member

The High Court of Australia has overturned the acquittal of an Australian woman who was convicted of joining Islamic State and reinstated her prison term.

Zainab Abdirahman-Khalif was found guilty of being a member of a terrorist organisation in April 2019, and sentenced to a minimum of two years and three months in prison in South Australia.

Her conviction by a jury was later overturned on appeal but in the latest twist, the High Court has ruled the initial conviction should stand.

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The 25-year-old was stopped by Australian Border Force officers in 2016 as she attempted to leave Australia with a one-way ticket to Turkey.

Suspicions were raised after she had just $180 in her possession.

Investigations linked Ms Abdirahman-Khalif with IS content on her phone.

In 2019, after serving two years behind bars, Ms Abdirahman-Khalif was freed upon appeal and allowed to live in the community subject to an Australian Federal Police control order which forced her to contact police once a week and abide to a 10pm curfew.

Ms Abdirahman-Khalif may have to return to prison to serve out the rest of her original sentence after today's High Court ruling.