An Australian man who provided support to Islamic State and gave advice to aspiring members travelling to Syria will be eligible for release within weeks.
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But a judge said it was highly unlikely Mohamed Zuhbi would be granted parole after being jailed for helping would-be fighters travel to conflict zones.
More likely, he will remain in Goulburn's supermax prison until his sentence expires in 2025.
The 33-year-old pleaded guilty to knowingly supporting a terrorist organisation.
He also pleaded guilty to providing support for people preparing to make incursions into a foreign country to engage in hostile activities.
After leaving Australia as a 22-year-old in 2013, Zuhbi provided "not insignificant assistance" to several identified fighters seeking to travel to Turkey and into Islamic State-held areas of Syria, the NSW District Court heard on Friday.
He gave travel advice and guidance on what supplies to bring, telling one man to disguise himself as a humanitarian worker and advising he cancel an eight-day booking to stay near the border because Zuhbi could get him into Syria "in two hours".
But Zuhbi's support did not extend to providing money, weapons or vessels to would-be fighters.
His advice was relatively basic and given over Facebook messages that were easily linked back to him, Judge Warwick Hunt said.
A false confession that he was a member of Islamic State was beaten out of him while he was imprisoned by the Free Syrian Army.
That admission was used to jail him for about 18 months in Turkey before he was extradited to Australia in May 2021.
His older brother followed him overseas but died in Syria in 2018, the court heard.
Judge Hunt said it was unsurprising Zuhbi had PTSD as a result of the significantly negative experiences he had from being detained overseas.
They included being beaten, lashed, denied sunlight and sprayed with cold water by the Free Syrian Army.
Zuhbi has remained in high-risk management areas at the supermax prison in Goulburn since being extradited in May 2021.
While there, he did not have any meaningful contact with his mother, wife or four children - one of whom he had never met - due to restrictions on speaking languages other than English.
But his behaviour while in custody had been exemplary, the judge added.
Zuhbi had seemingly resiled from his previous ideology, although a forensic psychologist said it was unclear how that would translate when he was released from prison.
He had demonstrated remorse and shown the judge he was "truly contrite", the court heard.
Zuhbi was jailed for four years with a non-parole period of three years, backdated to his extradition in 2021.
He could seek parole from Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus in May, but Judge Hunt noted it was highly unlikely he would succeed due to strict legislation and current practices for terrorism offenders.
The Commonwealth may also seek a supervision order when Zuhbi is released, the judge told the 33-year-old as he watched on via a video link from Goulburn.
He could also be extradited to the United States to face further charges.
Zuhbi thanked the judge after learning his sentence will expire in the coming months.
Australian Associated Press
