Brisbane man faces court over charges of assisting Islamic State

A Brisbane man has faced court for allegedly providing video-editing software to a relative working for Islamic State.

A former Queensland Police ­Service recruit has faced court for allegedly providing video-­editing software to a relative working for Islamic State’s media unit.

Alaa Adam Atwani was ­arrested at his home in Algester, in Brisbane’s south, by members of the Queensland Joint Counter Terrorism Team on Tuesday and charged with attempting to support a terrorist organisation.

He is alleged to have provided Sony Vegas software between late October and early November 2014 to a relative who had ­travelled to the conflict zone in Syria and Iraq.

“We will allege the support this man provided was tangible and would directly assist a terrorist organisation with its objectives,” said Australian Federal Police Assistant Comm­issioner Ian McCartney, the national manager for counter-terrorism.

The relative is believed to be his brother Samir Atwani, the forme­r dux of Canterbury Boys High in southwest Sydney, who flew out of Australia to join Islamic State’s propaganda unit in Syria in 2014.

Alaa Atwani is understood to have left the police service’s recruit­ program after his family ties were discovered during training.

A Queensland police spokesman said yesterday that recruits faced a rigorous point-in-time vetting process and “failure to disclose­ relevant information” could ­result in termination of their ­contract.

The 27-year-old, who is facing a maximum penalty of 25 years’ ­imprisonment, appeared briefly in the Richlands Magistrates Court yesterday.

He did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody until June 21, when he will appear via video link.

“No threat to the community in Queensland” had been discovered during the investigation, the AFP said in a statement.

“It will be alleged in court that the Algester man provided video-editing software to a relative who had travelled to the conflict zone and was working for the ‘media unit’ of the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL) terrorist organisation,” the statement reads.

Queensland Assistant Commissioner Peter Fleming, from security­ and counter-terrorism command, said ­violent extremists “exploit the online environment to spread propaganda and recruit individuals”.

“The aim of extremists is to divide us and to turn our citizens against each other — but we will not let them win,” Mr Fleming said.

The joint counter-terror team comprises members from the AFP, QPS and ASIO.

Mr McCartney said the arrest highlighted strong working ­relationships between law-­enforcement agencies.