Convicted terrorists to be kept under close supervision for years
Convicted terrorists face years of close supervision – even after they get out of jail – under new laws to protect the community.
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- Qantas handler-turned-terrorist faces new orders out of Supermax
- Notorious Aussie terrorist dubbed ‘DIY Jihadi’ released from jail
Exclusive: DIY jihadi Bilal Khazal and five of the “tinnie terrorists’’ face tighter restrictions and police monitoring under new laws introduced into the federal parliament.
The laws, which create extended supervision orders for convicted terrorists released into the community, contain measures which capture those who are already out on control orders.
They provide for closer monitoring, more restrictions on movements and association, require the convicted jihadis to take part in rehabilitation programs and give police greater powers to search their homes.
Attorney-General Christian Porter told parliament the new extended supervision orders would mean convicted jihadis would face years of “unfettered close supervision’’ by authorities after their jail terms were completed.
“There are transitional measures that mean six offenders already in the community would be eligible to move onto this scheme,’’ Mr Porter said.
The six are thought to be Sydney’s Khazal, officially known as Bilal Khazal, who was released from Goulburn Supermax on August 30 after serving 12 years for compiling a DIY jihadi manual with advice on how to carry out assassinations.
He was released despite serious concerns from authorities that he continued to hold extremist views.
As well, five members of the gang of “tinnie terrorists’’, who in 2016 towed a small boat from Melbourne to Far North Queensland with the intention of sailing to the Philippines and inciting an Islamist uprising, would be captured by the transitional measures.
Paul Dacre, Antonino Granata, brothers Murat and Kadir Kaya and Shayden Thorne have all been released in the past 12 months. Four are from Melbourne, while Thorne has been released to his home city of Perth.
Mr Porter said nine jihadis had been released this year and another 12 were due out in the next five years.
“What we now face is a somewhat new and additional and significant challenge because we now see a large cohort of convicted terrorist offenders … due to be released following the expiry of their sentences,’’ he said.
“Regretfully, notwithstanding best efforts, many of those individuals continue to hold onto extremist ideology and they pose a very significant risk to our community.’’
The Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (High Risk Terrorist Offenders) Bill will allow the Australian Federal Police to apply to the courts to add new prohibitions, obligations and restrictions to control orders which freed jihadis may be subjected to.
The Government is still trying to work out what to do with Australia’s most notorious terrorist, Abdul Nacer Benbrika, who is due for release in November.
A potential application for a continuing detention order is being considered to keep him behind bars at the completion of his 15-year sentence, but no applications for a CDO have been made to date, due to concerns the legal threshold to obtain such an order is too high.