Government’s last-minute fight to keep notorious terrorists behind bars

London’s terror attack last week has spurred the federal government to pass a bill to ensure some of the country’s most notorious convic­ted terrorists — who are eligible for parole — stay behind bars.

At least four of the country’s most notorious convic­ted terrorists are eligible to walk free from the state’s ­Supermax jail as the federal government fights to keep them locked up.

They include Faheem Khaled Lodhi, who planned to blow up the electricity grid, former baggage handler Bilal Khazaal, who was a one-time confidante of Osama bin Laden, a Sydney man who travelled to Syria to fight and a man alleged to be at the centre of a group of Islamic extremists.

Faheem Khaled Lodhi.

Bilal Khazaal.

All four are currently eligible for parole, along with radical Melbourne cleric Abdul Nacer Benbrika, 59, the spiritual leader of two terror cells that plotted ­attacks in Melbourne and Sydney in 2004 and 2005, who is locked up in Victoria.

In the wake of the fatal London stabbing carried out by a terrorist on parole, the government late on Wednesday passed a bill to close a loophole that could have prevented some of these high-risk terrorists from being kept locked up on what are called continuing detention orders when their sentences end.

There is already a presumption against parole for all convicted terrorists with the final say down to ­Attorney-General Christian Porter because they are on federal charges.

So far, the Attorney-General has not granted release to parole of any terrorist.

“The presumption against parole for all convicted terrorists, means they won’t be released early to potentially reoffend like the terrorist responsible for last week’s horrific attack in London who had only served about half of his sentence,” Mr Porter said yesterday.

Abdul Nacer Benbrika. Picture: Kym Smith

He said the bill also firmed up the presumption against bail for accused terrorists and included those with previous convictions for terror offences as well as people who have openly supported terror groups.

Federal prisoners are not required to apply for parole and are automatically considered for release before the expiry of their non-parole periods. They have to be reconsidered every 12 months. The government can apply for CDOs lasting up to three years to keep them locked up after their sentences.

The NSW prisoners are among the 40 terrorists in the country’s toughest jail, Goulburn’s Supermax.

Pakistan-born Lodhi planned to destroy the electricity grid and military bases, including Sydney’s Holsworthy and Victoria Barracks.

Jailed for a total of 20 years in June 2006, he was eligible for parole in April this year but he was refused release on April 16.

Originally published as Government’s last-minute fight to keep notorious terrorists behind bars