Acquitted terror suspect Zainab Abdirahman-Khalif denied anti-radicalisation counselling in prison due to AG’s tough stance
Adelaide’s former terror suspect was denied anti-radicalisation treatment in jail, it can be revealed, because the Commonwealth Attorney-General said she had not deradicalised herself.
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The Adelaide woman acquitted of joining Islamic State received no formal deradicalisation treatment in prison because of a hard line stance taken by the Federal Government.
The Advertiser can now reveal Attorney-General Christian Porter blocked Zainab Abdirahman-Khalif’s parole bid in August, hampering efforts to rehabilitate her extremist views.
At the time, the former nursing student was serving a three-year term for swearing fealty to the feared terror group – a conviction that was overturned on appeal on Thursday.
In a letter, Mr Porter refused to sign off on Ms Abdirahman-Khalif’s parole, saying intelligence operatives were not satisfied she had surrendered her fealty to IS.
Ironically, his intervention left Ms Abdirahman-Khalif ineligible not only for parole, but also for inclusion in the SA Government’s anti-radicalisation programs for prisoners.
Her family stepped up to fill the void, arranging pastoral care from the Somali community and one-to-one treatment from a torture and trauma survivors’ group to rehabilitate her.
Ms Abdirahman-Khalif, 25, spent 891 days in jail accused, and then convicted of, one count of being a member of a terrorist organisation.
Her trial heard that, between 2016 and 2017 she collected IS propaganda on her phone, and was recorded speaking and singing pro-IS phrases and songs.
It was told she communicated with an all-female terror cell in Mombassa and, after their deaths, tried to travel to Turkey – without her family’s knowledge and with just $170.
On Thursday, the Full Court of the Court of Criminal Appeal ruled that evidence did not amount to proof of membership, and ordered Ms Abdirahman-Khalif be acquitted.
It found Federal law could only be used to punish IS, not “individuals governed by it, even if they are supporters of its aims and objectives”.
Under her original sentence, Ms Abdirahman-Khalif became eligible to seek release on parole – and access prerelease rehabilitation programs – in August, but Mr Porter intervened.
“The Australian Federal Police have recommended against your release on parole as there is no evidence you have satisfactorily disengaged from extremist ideology,” he wrote.
“I’m not satisfied you have sufficient insight into your offending.
“The thought the community could be at risk of reoffending, if you are released, outweighs the benefits parole could provide to you if you were released at this time.”
Ms Abdirahman-Khalif was therefore not among the 3000 prisoners enrolled in the Department for Correctional Services’ anti-radicalisation program.
On Friday her lawyer, James Caldicott, said his client’s family and the Somali community stepped in to ensure she would return to the community without extremist views.
“She engaged with counselling and, while in custody, undertook all of the programs she was offered,” he said.
“Unfortunately, none of those programs were the anti-radicalisation training (so) she has worked with members of her community and undergone pastoral care.
“She has also worked with Survivors of Torture and Trauma Assistance and Rehabilitation Service (STTARS), met with social workers and undergone psychological counselling.”
A Department for Correctional Services spokeswoman said all sentenced prisoners were assessed for rehabilitation programs.
“Programs are delivered based on these assessments and the needs of the individual as part of their sentence,” she said.
The Advertiser has sought comment from Mr Porter.