Convicted ISIS supporter fears watching footy, Maccas wifi or quoting the Koran could land him back in prison

Locked up for associating with ISIS members, now Radwan Dakkak is worried everyday moments could see him accused of breaching anti terror orders and back behind bars.

Radwan Dakkak. Picture: Supplied

A convicted ISIS supporter marched into a Sydney courtroom under armed guard told a judge he feared being locked up for using McDonalds wifi, giving gifts to his mum and dad, or watching footy when he is released from prison in just a few days.

Radwan Dakkak, aged 26 from Sydney’s west, was locked up for 18 months on two charges of knowingly associating with a terrorist organisation when he intentionally spent time with Australian ISIS members.

Just weeks after he left prison, in early 2021, Dakkak was charged and ultimately convicted of breaching an anti-terror release order designed to keep tabs on his online and offline activity.

Dakkak is now just days away from release again, and faces yet another control order from the Australian Federal Police.

The self-represented Dakkak shuffled into Sydney’s Federal Court on Monday in restraints and sat down in a plush chair in Justice David Yates’ courtroom taking in the view over the harbour and Hyde Park.

Dakkak told Justice Yates that he had breached his control order, last year, when he accessed a website that had a sentence justifying executions “for one minute”.

Court documents reveal Dakkak actually breached his first ICO on three occasions, with the sentencing judge unsure if he was trying to research his religion or radicalise himself.

Dakkak, on Monday, told the court he wanted to challenge many of the AFP’s new release conditions which will take effect when he is released on September 15.

Dakkak told Justice Yates his primary concern was accidentally breaching the control orders through “innocent” behaviour like reciting the Koran or books that mention murders.

“I don‘t want to carry out or tell people to do violence,” Dakkak told the court.

“But, as everyone knows, there are verses in the Koran that I speak about, verses of war or violence, if I‘m speaking with my family I don’t want to breach by reciting (those) teachings.”

The AFP’s barrister assured the court that the avid bookworm Dakkak could read murder mysteries, the condition was to stop him from accessing the sort of material that initially “radicalised” him.

Another release condition is that Dakkak cannot make donations of money or gifts to charities or associations without advising his AFP handlers.

He told the court he feared it could be considered a breach if he gives a gift or money to his mother and father.

Another proposed condition is that Dakkak cannot drive vehicles over 4.5 tonnes with the AFP citing the use of trucks in terror attacks in Europe.

Dakkak told the court he had trained to drive forklifts, and it was “far-fetched” to suggest a 4.5 tonne forklift posed a threat to the public.

The AFP also wants the court to order Dakkak uses only one phone, which they will provide and monitor, and he must not access the internet through other devices or people.

But Dakkak told the court he didn’t want to get locked up for watching a smart TV, which is connected to the internet, or for simply logging onto public wifi.

“I don’t want to just walk into a place and because it’s a smart TV, because I look at it and see the cricket’s on, or the footy, I don’t want to be breached,” he said.

“I don’t want to be breached for accidentally connecting to Maccas wifi or something.”

The AFP said they did not have concerns Dakkak would carry out a terror attack himself but the strict conditions were needed to make sure he did not spread or consume extremist propaganda.

Justice Yates will hand down a decision on an interim release order later this week and final orders will continue to be debated before the courts until December.