Australia court convicts man over Syria travel plans

A court in Australia has found a 25-year-old Melbourne resident guilty of trying to travel to Syria to fight with anti-government forces. Amin Mohamed, a New Zealand citizen, was convicted of three counts of making preparations to travel to a foreign country to engage in hostile acts. It is a crime in Australia to fight […]

A court in Australia has found a 25-year-old Melbourne resident guilty of trying to travel to Syria to fight with anti-government forces.
Amin Mohamed, a New Zealand citizen, was convicted of three counts of making preparations to travel to a foreign country to engage in hostile acts.
It is a crime in Australia to fight for militants on either side of the conflict in the Middle East.
Mohamed could face up to 10 years in prison for each charge. His Australian visa has been cancelled and he will remain in detention until sentenced.
The Victorian Supreme Court heard Mohamed wanted to fight against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Prosecutors said he applied for a New Zealand passport to enter Syria, booked flights to Turkey and obtained the contact details of a Turkish resident with the intent of fighting in Syria, according to the ABC.
Recordings of telephone intercepts in which Mohamed used coded language to discuss his plans with an alleged recruiter were also played, local media said.