KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – An Afghan man has been arrested at Melbourne Airport in Australia after police allegedly found violent extremist material, including videos depicting shootings, mass casualties and the beheading of hostages, on a mobile phone seized during an investigation.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported that the Australian Federal Police (AFP) arrested 30-year-old Mohammad Ahmadzai on Saturday, Sept. 12, as he was preparing to travel to Afghanistan via Abu Dhabi to visit his unwell father. Ahmadzai lives in Roxburgh Park, in Melbourne’s outer north.
According to the report, border officials interviewed Ahmadzai at Melbourne Airport before his arrest. The court later heard that police had found extremist material on a phone allegedly belonging to him, including videos showing shootings, mass casualties and the beheading and throat-cutting of hostages.
The AFP also alleges that Ahmadzai was a member of a chat group with other men who shared violent extremist material.
The case is linked to a federal police raid at a property in Melbourne in May, during which investigators seized several electronic devices, including a phone and tablet allegedly belonging to Ahmadzai. The AFP told the court that although Ahmadzai was not the original target of the raid, forensic investigators later identified material on his phone that they believed met the legal threshold for violent extremist material.
Ahmadzai has been charged with possessing violent extremist material and with an offence related to refusing to provide police access to an electronic device. The possession offence carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison under Australian federal law.
Ahmadzai appeared before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court via video link on Sunday. He sought bail, but the court remanded him in custody after prosecutors raised concerns that he could leave Australia if released and fail to return to face the charges. Magistrate Samantha Seoud said she needed further information from the lead investigator before making a decision on bail. The case is scheduled to return to court on Tuesday.
Under Australian federal law, possessing or controlling violent extremist material obtained or accessed through an internet or other electronic service can constitute a criminal offence when the person intentionally possesses the material and is reckless as to whether it qualifies as violent extremist material. The offence carries a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment.
Australian authorities define violent extremist material as material that depicts, describes or provides instructions relating to serious violence and that is intended to advance a political, religious or ideological cause or encourage acts of violence or association with groups involved in such acts. Examples include videos or images of beheadings, shootings, bombings and violent assaults linked to extremist organisations or ideologies.
The law does not criminalise accidental exposure to such material. It also provides exemptions for legitimate activities, including academic or historical research, professional journalism, law enforcement and other specified purposes.
Australia strengthened its legal framework on violent and extremist online content following concerns that digital platforms could be used to spread material depicting or promoting extreme violence. Separate legislation introduced after the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks also placed obligations on online and hosting service providers to report and remove certain forms of abhorrent violent material.
The allegations against Ahmadzai have not been proven in court, and he remains entitled to the presumption of innocence unless and until proven guilty.
