Convicted ISIS terrorist linked to alleged Bondi gunman Naveed Akram set to walk free from prison

A convicted Islamic State terrorist with links to the alleged Bondi Beach massacre gunman is set to walk free from prison on Sunday, despite authorities having the power to seek an extension of his detention.

Self-proclaimed Australian ISIS commander Isaac El Matari is approaching the end of his five-year prison sentence, with the Australian Federal Police now reportedly seeking court-imposed restrictions on his movements and activities.

According to The Australian, the Department of Home Affairs has not applied for a continued detention order that could have kept El Matari behind bars for up to another five years.

Home Affairs has declined to explain why a continued detention order was not sought, citing ongoing Federal Court proceedings.

In a statement to The Nightly, a departmental spokesperson said protecting Australians from convicted terrorists remained a top priority.

“There is no higher priority for the Australian Government than protecting the community from harm, including the risk posed by convicted terrorist offenders,” the spokesperson said.

“Where an Interim Control Order application is before the court, it is not appropriate to go into the details of this case, including any legal advice or consideration given to any applications.”

The department said continuing detention orders were one of several measures available to manage convicted terrorists, alongside control orders.

“The Government takes the strongest action available under the law, based on expert advice and in consultation with the relevant operational and security agencies,” the spokesperson said.

The AFP launched Federal Court proceedings seeking an interim control order, which could impose restrictions on the convicted terrorist for up to 12 months.

The application has been considered by the Federal Court, with a decision expected ahead of El Matari’s scheduled release on Sunday.

El Matari has spent the past five years at Macquarie Correctional Centre, a maximum-security prison about 50km south of Dubbo in regional NSW.

El Matari was sentenced in 2021 after being convicted of multiple terrorism offences linked to his ambitions to establish an Islamic State stronghold in the Blue Mountains.

He had also discussed plans to attack Sydney’s St Mary’s Cathedral and the US embassy, as well as travelling to Afghanistan to fight alongside ISIS militants.

El Matari had previously been imprisoned in Lebanon after attempting to join Islamic State, according to ABC reporting from sentencing.

The convicted terrorist was arrested in 2019 during a counter-terrorism investigation that also brought alleged Bondi gunman Naveed Akram to the attention of intelligence authorities.

The Nightly previously reported that Akram had appeared in a 2019 street-preaching video associated with the Al Madina Dawah Centre in Bankstown, which had links to controversial preacher Wissam Haddad.

Haddad denied having any personal, organisational or instructional connection to Akram, while the centre also rejected claims of an association with the accused gunman.

The ABC reported Akram had been investigated by ASIO in 2019 because of his associations with members of an Islamic State-linked network, including El Matari.

Further documents uncovered by ABC Investigations in May showed Akram remained on the radar of ASIO and police in 2022, with intelligence authorities continuing to manage him as a residual security risk.

Investigators later uncovered evidence connecting Akram and El Matari through another convicted Islamic State supporter, Youssef Uweinat.

El Matari was arrested alongside Radwan Dakkak, who was subsequently jailed for terrorism-related offences and subjected to a control order following his release.

Dakkak was arrested again just two weeks after leaving prison for breaching the restrictions imposed on him.

Those restrictions included daily police reporting, limits on communications and internet access, and prohibitions on associating with certain individuals, including El Matari.

During El Matari’s sentencing in October 2021, Justice Peter Garling found his prospects of carrying out the attacks he had discussed were extremely limited.

The judge noted El Matari had not acquired weapons, recruited followers or developed detailed plans capable of being carried out.

In 2022, the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission also found NSW Police had unlawfully conducted a covert search involving El Matari by misusing counter-terrorism powers.