‘I am so happy now’: Amer Khayat reveals plans for the future after being cleared of suicide bomb plot
An Australian man who was accused — and then, cleared — of being involved in a suicide bomb plot has revealed how he’s moving on with life.
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Australian dad Amer Khayat, who was cleared of being involved in a suicide bomb plot, says he wants to get back to Sydney to find a job.
A Lebanese military tribunal earlier this month found Mr Khayat, 42, did not know that the meat grinder and Barbie doll in his luggage were bombs.
They were timed to go off 20 minutes after the take off of his Etihad Airways flight to Abu Dhabi in July 2017 while the plane was over Sydney’s Blue Mountains.
The plot was foiled when an efficient airline staff member refused to accept his luggage because it was too heavy. The bombs were then taken out of his luggage.
His brother Khaled Khayat, 51, and Mahmoud Khayat, 34, were found guilty of the plot in the New South Wales Supreme court.
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Amer Khayat, a father of two, has been staying with family in Lebanon as he prepares to return to Australia.
“Australia is the best country in the world. I love to be free, I am so happy now my life is back when the first day I am out from the jail,” he said.
“The prison is not for me. It was really sad when I was in jail. I want to say thanks to my lawyer Jocelyn (Adib Al Rahi) and thanks for the Judge.
“They get me out from the jail and they find me I am innocent but I know from the first day I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Tareq Khayat, another of Amer’s brothers, has been sentenced to death in Iraq for being an Islamic State accountant.
Khaled and Mahmoud’s plot was organised by a “controller” who was linked to Tareq when he was in Syria.
Amer was used a pawn by his brothers who had a strained relationship with him.
They accused him of being a bad Muslim by drinking alcohol and blamed him for the breakdown of his marriage.
Amer said that he had no links to Islamic State and disowned his brothers in court, saying “blood would turn to water” when he was released.
“I will never think about Islamic state they are so wrong,” he said.
Amer said he needed to get help to return to Sydney.
“I will never miss anything from the jail. The best thing to do, someone to help me to book a ticket and then to go back home to Sydney,” he said.
“I think about Australia government. It’s really good they know who’s innocent or guilty straight away. Thanks for Australia and I hope I can get back soon ASAP.
“First when I go back to Sydney I try to see my kids and then look for a job.”
He said he was yet to speak with his daughters Dunia, 16, and Shayma, 12, who were both in school in Australia.
“I tried to speak to my daughters but I think they got a new number,” he said.
stephen.drill@news.co.uk