Herald Sun reports that Williams could be sentenced to life imprisonment if found guilty with the intent to join the Kurdish aligned forces in Iraq in their fight against the Islamic State.
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On Tuesday he was charged with preparing for incursions into foreign countries for the objective of engaging in hostile activities, one of the new offences introduced last year by the federal government to stem the flow of Australians to the conflict in Iraq and Syria.
The parents of Australian man Reece Harding (picutred) who was killed in Syria as he fought with Kurdish forces against IS have revealed their conflicting emotions after his body was returned home to Australia. Another Queensland man, Ashley Dyball is believed to have joined the Kurdish militia group The Lions of Rojava.
Harding’s mother said it was “farcical” for Australians to be charged for fighting in Iraq and Syria regardless of the group they joined.
Jamie Williams, a 28-year-old man from the suburb area of Epping in Melbourne, Australia, was taken to court today, July 28, after an investigation conducted by the Melbourne Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT) yields supporting evidence to charge him with plans of taking up arms against the Islamic State organisation. He was trying to board a flight bound for Qatar when his passport was seized.
Members of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service Counter Terrorism Unit had suspected that his intention for leaving the country was to involve himself in the war happening in Northern Iraq. Williams also reportedly had a one-way ticket to Sulaymaniyah, in northern Iraq.
Various items of military-style equipment and clothing were located in his luggage at the time. Williams’ house was then searched where a mobile phone and computer were seized. Williams’ lawyer says that he will apply for bail “shortly” though it is not clear when the application would be made. Brookman is accused of knowingly providing support to IS by undertaking guard duty and reconnaissance between April 2010 and August 2014, court documents say. He did not apply for bail and was remanded to custody until his next court appearance in October. Attorney-General George Brandis warns it remains illegal for Australians to travel to fight in a foreign civil war.
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Universal: That political responsibility may be lived at all levels as a high form of charity.
