Minister says Australian IS-linked 'Doctor Jihad' can 'rot' in Iraqi jail

Perth paediatrician Tareq Kamleh went to Syria to join the Islamic State group in 2015 and has, until now, been presumed dead. Tareq Kamleh travelled to Syria in 2015 to join the Islamic State group. ( Facebook: Tareq Kamleh ) Islamic State-linked Perth man Tareq Kamleh, known as "Doctor Jihad", is reportedly alive in a prison in Iraq despite previous reporting that he had died.

Kamleh travelled to Syria in 2015 to join IS and is wanted on a number of terrorism-related charges in Australia. Opposition Leader Angus Taylor is urging for him to be refused entry to Australia if he is released, but the government says it is legally obligated to allow citizens to return home. Opposition Leader Angus Taylor says a Perth man who served as an Islamic State doctor should be barred from returning to Australia, as a senior government minister has declared the man should "rot in jail" following reports he is still alive in Iraq.

The Australian has reported paediatrician Tareq Kamleh, known as "Doctor Jihad", is being held in prison in Baghdad but hoping to return home, despite being previously presumed dead. He is among a group of Australian men linked to the Islamic State group reportedly being held in Iraqi prisons, who could attempt to return to Australia if released. The newspaper details court documents that reportedly show Kamleh did not die in the final siege of Raqqa in 2017 as his family previously believed.

Mr Taylor said Kamleh "shouldn't come back" and urged the government to "pull out all stops" to prevent his return. He said the government should refuse to issue Kamleh a passport, and hand him a temporary exclusion order (TEO). The government has repeatedly said it cannot deny passports to citizens, but insists it will not assist the return of the men.

TEOs can be used to temporarily exclude a citizen from returning to Australia, but the government cannot legally prevent a citizen from returning indefinitely. It is a tool generally used to buy security agencies time to prepare for the return of a person who they may wish to charge with a crime or monitor. Kamleh has already been charged by federal police for terrorism offences, including joining and recruiting for IS.

While the government has not confirmed Kamleh is alive, Housing Minister Clare O'Neil has said they "do not want this person back in Australia". "As far as I'm concerned, that person can rot in jail, she said. In a statement, a spokesperson said the government had not and would not provide assistance to "any Australian who made the horrific choice to join a dangerous terrorist organisation".

"We've been very clear that for some individuals in this cohort, returning to Australia would mean facing the full force of the law, it said. "The safety of the Australian community is this government's highest priority. Earlier this year, the government issued so-called ISIS bride Hodan Abby a permit to return home. The Australian woman had initially been prevented from returning via a TEO, and will be subject to strict surveillance conditions on her return.