Photo: Zainab Abdirahman-Khalif was charged with knowingly being a member of a terrorist organisation. (Nine News)
Zainab Abdirahman-Khalif, 23, has pleaded not guilty to knowingly being a member of the Islamic State (IS) group between July 2016 and May 2017.
In his opening address, Commonwealth prosecutor Chris Winneke QC said at the time of the alleged offending, Ms Abdirahman-Khalif lived with her mother and two brothers at Mansfield Park, in Adelaide's north-west.
He said that in March 2016, she quit her diploma of science and technology at the University of South Australia, which she had been studying in pursuit of becoming a nurse, and decided to "follow a different path".
"The crown case is on July 13, 2016, unbeknown to her family and using her savings, she purchased over the internet a one-way ticket [from Adelaide] to Istanbul in Turkey … for departure the following day," Mr Winneke said.
"So on July 14, 2016, without telling her mother and brothers that she was leaving the country, with only hand luggage and very little funds … she set out for the airport."
The court heard she was detained prior to boarding and prevented from getting onto the flight.
"The crown case is the defendant, in leaving Australia and going to Turkey, was ultimately going to make contact with Islamic State and commence to live in territory held by Islamic State as a member of that society, and as a follower of the leader of that organisation," Mr Winneke said.
Dozens of videos found on accused's phone
Mr Winneke said Ms Abdirahman-Khalif was in communication with three young African women who carried out a bombing in Mombasa, Kenya, in September 2016, for which IS later claimed responsibility.
"It's not the crown's case that the defendant is in any way involved in the organisation or commission of any specific events at all," he said.
"But the crown does have evidence that suggests that the defendant had some knowledge that the event in Mombasa was going to occur," Mr Winneke said.
The court heard 378 audio files associated with IS were found on her phone, along with 125 videos from an IS media organisation, 62 of which contained extremist material including executions.
It heard there was also a photo on her phone of her in Islamic dress pointing to the ceiling, which is a pose associated with the group, and a video she had filmed of herself with an IS song playing in the background.
Jurors warned of evidence containing violence
Justice David Peek warned jurors they would be exposed to graphic and gruesome evidence from images and video footage found on the defendant's mobile phone.
"It contains a great deal of Islamic State propaganda, much military training, fighting, explosions … there are references to suicide bombers," he said.
"Wounded persons and dead bodies are seen in various states and positions, most are obviously adult males, but some may be women and children."
The jurors were told they would also see footage of captives being executed by knife, sword or firearm, but that the videos had been edited to stop just before the person's death.
"That material that is to be shown is both graphic and gruesome, and you will see things like blood, brain fragments, severed heads placed on bodies," Justice Peek said.
The court heard Ms Abdirahman-Khalif lived in refugee camps in Kenya until she was 13 years old and moved to Australia with her family, who are of Somalian origin, in 2009.
She studied at the Islamic College of South Australia until 2011 and completed Year 12 at Roma Mitchell Secondary College.
The trial is expected to run for four weeks and will hear evidence from a number of witnesses, including an academic expert in terrorist activities in the Middle East.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-27/adelaide-islamic-state-accused-terror-trial-begins/10168128
