Notorious jihadists, terrorists to be freed from prison next year
Dozens of extremists are behind bars in Australia, and nearly one-fifth of them is set to be freed next year. It comes after last weekend’s deadly London terror attack, where a man released halfway through his jail term killed two people.
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Ten terrorists, including notorious Melbourne jihadist Abdul Nacer Benbrika, are due to be released from prison next year.
Attorney-General Christian Porter told parliament that 54 people were behind bars for terrorism offences in Australia, and 10 were due to be released by the end of next year.
This includes Benbrika, an Algerian-Australian who supported al-Qaeda and was the spiritual leader of two terror cells that plotted attacks in Melbourne and Sydney in 2004-05.
He was sentenced to 15 years’ jail in 2005 and is due for release in November.
Another of those due to complete their sentence next year is former Qantas baggage handler and al-Qaeda supporter, Sydney man Bilal Khazal, who was developing a terrorist DIY handbook and was sentenced to 12 years in 2008.
Both men have already been denied parole by the government and will serve their full terms.
While federal laws already default against terrorists receiving bail or parole, the government is introducing a Bill to firm up the presumption against bail for terrorists or their supporters facing other Commonwealth offences.
As well, the Bill would prevent terrorists being released on parole except in “demonstrable exceptional circumstances”. It would also apply to those previously charged but acquitted of terrorism offences.
Mr Porter said the London terror attack last Friday, where a man released from jail halfway through a 16-year term for terrorism offences killed two people at London Bridge, showed the threat of recidivism was real.
“That is a risk that our government has acted very swiftly and strongly on to counter, and that is the undeniably high risk that individuals who have undertaken violent terrorist acts exhibit a high tendency to reoffend,’’ he said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday batted off calls from a senior US official to bring Islamic State fighters home from Syria and jail them here.
A senior US State Department official had told the Herald Sun on Sunday that Australia’s policy of stripping citizenship was “not effective’’ at keeping jihadis off the battlefield, and that they should be brought to Australia for prosecution.
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The public rebuke from Australia’s top security ally ruffled feathers within the government, which is refusing to repatriate its foreign fighters.
Asked if he agreed with the US, Mr Morrison replied: “Australia’s policy should be set in Australia’s national interest and no one else’s.’’
Australia has between 12 and 20 men imprisoned by Syrian Democratic Forces in northeastern Syria.
Originally published as Notorious jihadists, terrorists to be freed from prison next year