Australian 'Doctor Jihad' claims he never joined ISIS in resurfaced interview from prison
Tareq Kamleh, an Australian doctor who joined ISIS, has claimed in a resurfaced interview that he never intended to join the extremist group. He is currently detained in an Iraqi prison, facing terrorism charges from the Australian government.
Why it matters
The case highlights the complex legal and ethical challenges nations face regarding the repatriation and prosecution of citizens who joined foreign extremist organizations.
Tareq Kamleh is an Australian-trained doctor who defected to Islamic State. ( Facebook: Tareq Kamleh )
Link copied Share Share article An Australian man dubbed "Dr Jihad" has claimed he never intended to join Islamic State and never pledged allegiance to the extremist organisation, in a recently resurfaced interview.
Last week's revelation that Tareq Kamleh was alive in an Iraqi prison , years after it was suspected he was killed in Syria, has reignited a fierce debate in Australia about the fate of foreigners who joined the failed caliphate.
Kamleh is a Perth-born, Adelaide-trained paediatrician who travelled to Syria in 2015, and is now among more than a dozen Australians accused of involvement with the deadly extremist group who are in an Iraqi jail.
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