Australia has canceled the citizenship of an Algerian-born Muslim cleric who was convicted of leading a terrorist cell that planned to bomb a soccer match in Melbourne in 2005, Australian Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton said yesterday.
Abdul Nacer Benbrika is the first person to be stripped of his citizenship while still in Australia.
“If it’s a person who’s posing a significant terrorist threat to our country, then we’ll do whatever is possible within Australian law to protect Australians,” Dutton told reporters in Brisbane.
Benbrika was convicted on three terrorism charges. He was jailed for 15 years for directing a terrorist group, being a member of a terrorist group and possessing material associated with the planning of a terrorist act.
Benbrika remains in an Australian prison, despite finishing his sentence. Under Australian law, Canberra is permitted to detain anyone convicted of terror offenses for up to three years after their sentence finishes.
He has 90 days to appeal the cancelation of his visa.
Under Australian law, a person can only be stripped of their citizenship if they are a dual citizen, thereby preventing people from being made stateless.
Australia used the powers last year to strip the citizenship of Neil Prakash, an alleged Islamic State recruiter who is imprisoned in Turkey.
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