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| Melbourne nurse who claims he was forced to join Isis returns to Australia | Melbourne nurse who claims he was forced to join Isis returns to Australia |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Related: Australian man who fled Syria says he never joined 'vicious and cruel' Isis | Related: Australian man who fled Syria says he never joined 'vicious and cruel' Isis |
| A Melbourne nurse who claims he was forced to join Islamic State militants returns to Australia on Friday after surrendering in Turkey. But authorities are sceptical about Adam Brookman’s claims and he may face serious criminal charges after landing in Sydney. | |
| Brookman, who will be the first person to return to Australia after working with Isis, claims he was forced to do so after travelling to Syria to do humanitarian work. He says he was conscripted by Isis after he was hurt in an air strike and sent to a hospital under the extremist group’s control. | Brookman, who will be the first person to return to Australia after working with Isis, claims he was forced to do so after travelling to Syria to do humanitarian work. He says he was conscripted by Isis after he was hurt in an air strike and sent to a hospital under the extremist group’s control. |
| Brookman struck a deal to surrender to Australian federal police officers in Turkey, knowing that he would be arrested on his arrival in Sydney, Fairfax Media reported. In return, the AFP agreed to help him come home under escort. | Brookman struck a deal to surrender to Australian federal police officers in Turkey, knowing that he would be arrested on his arrival in Sydney, Fairfax Media reported. In return, the AFP agreed to help him come home under escort. |
| An AFP spokesman said Brookman had not been charged, and confirmed he was arriving in Sydney on Friday. | |
| “The individual is subject to ongoing investigations, so it is not appropriate to comment further on this case at this time,” the spokesman said. | |
| However, if there was any evidence an Australian had committed a criminal offence under Australian law while involved in the conflict in Syria and Iraq, they would be charged and put before the courts, he said, adding that people had been consistently warned that by becoming involved in overseas conflict, they were putting their own lives in “mortal danger”. | |
| Brookman’s arrival back into the country was being carefully managed by the AFP in cooperation with relevant local authorities, he said. | |
| “The public can rest assured that any Australian who is identified as a threat to security will be investigated by the relevant agencies.” | |
| “If there is evidence an Australian has committed a criminal offence under Australia law while involved in the conflict in Syria and Iraq, they will be charged and put before the courts.” | “If there is evidence an Australian has committed a criminal offence under Australia law while involved in the conflict in Syria and Iraq, they will be charged and put before the courts.” |
| Brookman was expected to be taken to the AFP’s Sydney headquarters after he arrived. | Brookman was expected to be taken to the AFP’s Sydney headquarters after he arrived. |
| In May, Brookman told Guardian Australia he had entered Syria early in 2014 with the aid of an Australian humanitarian worker based in Turkey, because he wanted to use his nursing skills to assist with the humanitarian crisis among the Syrian people. He eventually found his way to Aleppo, “where I worked on ambulances, transporting civilians who were injured due to bombing and fire from jets, which would happen every night”, he said. | In May, Brookman told Guardian Australia he had entered Syria early in 2014 with the aid of an Australian humanitarian worker based in Turkey, because he wanted to use his nursing skills to assist with the humanitarian crisis among the Syrian people. He eventually found his way to Aleppo, “where I worked on ambulances, transporting civilians who were injured due to bombing and fire from jets, which would happen every night”, he said. |
| Related: Foreign fighters need 'modern form of banishment' says Tony Abbott in Magna Carta lecture | Related: Foreign fighters need 'modern form of banishment' says Tony Abbott in Magna Carta lecture |
| He said he had never taken up arms with or joined Isis, and had only worked in clinics and hospitals in the war-torn country. He now wished to return to his wife and children in Melbourne, he said. | He said he had never taken up arms with or joined Isis, and had only worked in clinics and hospitals in the war-torn country. He now wished to return to his wife and children in Melbourne, he said. |
| It is unclear whether he could be charged under terrorism legislation that bans Australians from travelling to “declared areas” or aiding terrorism. | It is unclear whether he could be charged under terrorism legislation that bans Australians from travelling to “declared areas” or aiding terrorism. |
| Under Australia’s anti-terrorism laws, anyone caught in a declared area must prove they were not fighting with Isis. Earlier this year, Tony Abbott said Australians must not travel to the Middle East to join the conflict, and warned they would face the full force of the law if and when they returned home, including the potential loss of their citizenship. | Under Australia’s anti-terrorism laws, anyone caught in a declared area must prove they were not fighting with Isis. Earlier this year, Tony Abbott said Australians must not travel to the Middle East to join the conflict, and warned they would face the full force of the law if and when they returned home, including the potential loss of their citizenship. |
| Meanwhile Melbourne’s Kurdish community was preparing to greet the body of a Gold Coast man killed in Syria while fighting against Islamic State. | Meanwhile Melbourne’s Kurdish community was preparing to greet the body of a Gold Coast man killed in Syria while fighting against Islamic State. |
| Reece Harding, 23, stepped on a land mine last month after travelling to the war zone because he believed the West wasn’t doing enough to defeat the terrorist group. | Reece Harding, 23, stepped on a land mine last month after travelling to the war zone because he believed the West wasn’t doing enough to defeat the terrorist group. |
| Australian Kurds were expected to gather in Melbourne as a gesture of thanks for his decision to join Kurdish forces fighting Isis. | Australian Kurds were expected to gather in Melbourne as a gesture of thanks for his decision to join Kurdish forces fighting Isis. |
| Reece’s parents, Michele and Keith Harding, were also travelling to Melbourne, ahead of a traditional Kurdish funeral ceremony planned for him on Sunday. | Reece’s parents, Michele and Keith Harding, were also travelling to Melbourne, ahead of a traditional Kurdish funeral ceremony planned for him on Sunday. |
| His body will then be returned to the Gold Coast for a family service on 1 August. | His body will then be returned to the Gold Coast for a family service on 1 August. |