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Australia plans 'indefinite detention' of terror convicts

Monday, 25 July 2016 9:21 AM [ Last Update: Monday, 25 July 2016 10:29 AM ]

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull speaks during a media conference announcing new anti-terrorism laws in Sydney, July 25, 2016. ©Reuters

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says Australia will indefinitely detain high-risk terror convicts as the government is pushing ahead with measures to tighten security laws.

Turnbull announced the new laws on Monday, which he said “are designed to deter terrorism, prevent it, ensure that the nation and our people are kept safe.”

“This legislation will enable additional periods of imprisonment for terrorist offenders who have served their sentences but are still judged to present an unacceptable risk to the community,” he said.

Turnbull further warned against the growing wave of “terrorist attacks globally, and particularly in Western nations such as ours,” apparently referring to deadly assaults in the US and Europe in recent months.

According to the Australian premier, around 750 people have been killed in about 40 attacks either in the West or against Western interests over the past year.

Since September 2014, some 44 people have been charged with terrorism-related offences in Australia, including some involved in the planning of mass attacks on the public, Turnbull said.

Attorney General George Brandis said indefinite detention would be supervised by courts and also subject to medical and psychological checks.

Australia, a staunch US ally, has been increasingly worried about its nationals fighting with terrorist groups such as Daesh in Iraq and Syria.

The country’s Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Peter Dutton said last month that some 100 Australians had left the country to join such groups.

The Australian government has ratified a law criminalizing travel to Daesh strongholds, including those in Syria and Iraq. Individuals charged with the crime could face up to 10 years in prison.

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