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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/mar/03/police-get-arrest-warrant-for-queensland-teenager-in-syria
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| Police get arrest warrant for Queensland teenager stranded in Syria Police get arrest warrant for Queensland teenager stranded in Syria | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The Australian federal police have obtained an arrest warrant for a Queensland teenager currently stranded in northern Syria. | The Australian federal police have obtained an arrest warrant for a Queensland teenager currently stranded in northern Syria. |
| A warrant has been issued for Oliver Bridgeman accusing the 19-year-old of “incursions into foreign countries with the intention of engaging in hostile activities”. | A warrant has been issued for Oliver Bridgeman accusing the 19-year-old of “incursions into foreign countries with the intention of engaging in hostile activities”. |
| AFP officers travelled to Toowoomba to tell Bridgeman’s parents of the arrest warrant on Wednesday. | AFP officers travelled to Toowoomba to tell Bridgeman’s parents of the arrest warrant on Wednesday. |
| Bridgeman has been in Syria since at least May 2015, where he claims to be doing humanitarian work. | Bridgeman has been in Syria since at least May 2015, where he claims to be doing humanitarian work. |
| The teenager was reported missing by his parents on 31 March 2015 after failing to board a return flight from Bali. | The teenager was reported missing by his parents on 31 March 2015 after failing to board a return flight from Bali. |
| Bridgeman’s solicitor Alex Jones said the issuing of the warrant, days after an appeal was lodged against the cancellation of his passport in the administrative appeals tribunal, appeared to be a move designed to leave him ‘stranded’ in Syria. | Bridgeman’s solicitor Alex Jones said the issuing of the warrant, days after an appeal was lodged against the cancellation of his passport in the administrative appeals tribunal, appeared to be a move designed to leave him ‘stranded’ in Syria. |
| “Everything they do is completely at odds with what they’re saying,” Jones said. | “Everything they do is completely at odds with what they’re saying,” Jones said. |
| “Every action that they’ve taken just flies in the face of a government that wants a kid home. They’ve just stranded him, and now he can’t legally get out of Syria because he doesn’t have a passport. | “Every action that they’ve taken just flies in the face of a government that wants a kid home. They’ve just stranded him, and now he can’t legally get out of Syria because he doesn’t have a passport. |
| “The government have already said they’re not going to help him and now they’ve issued an arrest warrant for him. If they had left him alone he’d be home already [to face AFP questioning]. | “The government have already said they’re not going to help him and now they’ve issued an arrest warrant for him. If they had left him alone he’d be home already [to face AFP questioning]. |
| “It’s just bizarre. It makes no sense.” | “It’s just bizarre. It makes no sense.” |
| Jones said the incursion charge was “concerned with something that happened 12 months ago and only two days after we’ve launched an appeal against his passport being cancelled do they issue this warrant”. | Jones said the incursion charge was “concerned with something that happened 12 months ago and only two days after we’ve launched an appeal against his passport being cancelled do they issue this warrant”. |
| Guardian Australia revealed on Wednesday that an Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation security assessment used to cancel Bridgeman’s passport was based largely on media interviews in which he discussed his aid work and seemingly innocuous comments he had made on Facebook. | Guardian Australia revealed on Wednesday that an Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation security assessment used to cancel Bridgeman’s passport was based largely on media interviews in which he discussed his aid work and seemingly innocuous comments he had made on Facebook. |
| It concluded Bridgeman “likely remains ideologically supportive of politically motivated violence” and could prejudice Australian security if permitted to keep his travel documents. | It concluded Bridgeman “likely remains ideologically supportive of politically motivated violence” and could prejudice Australian security if permitted to keep his travel documents. |
| It is not clear whether the intelligence agency also relied on secret evidence to justify the adverse security assessment. | It is not clear whether the intelligence agency also relied on secret evidence to justify the adverse security assessment. |
| The AFP said in May that Bridgeman was suspected of having joined a proscribed terrorist organisation – likely to mean the al-Qaida offshoot Jabhat al-Nusra. | The AFP said in May that Bridgeman was suspected of having joined a proscribed terrorist organisation – likely to mean the al-Qaida offshoot Jabhat al-Nusra. |
| Bridgeman told Guardian Australia in August he was in Syria to assist its people but admitted to having “interaction” with different rebel factions in the war-torn country. | Bridgeman told Guardian Australia in August he was in Syria to assist its people but admitted to having “interaction” with different rebel factions in the war-torn country. |
| “They’re the ones who control the area, so I have to have neutral relationships with them,” he said. | “They’re the ones who control the area, so I have to have neutral relationships with them,” he said. |
| “I have to build a relationship with people who say, we trust you, we help you out, we know your intentions.” | “I have to build a relationship with people who say, we trust you, we help you out, we know your intentions.” |
| Bridgeman’s parents had been in negotiations with the AFP to facilitate their son’s return. It is understood they were finalising plans for a flight home via Singapore when his passport was cancelled. | Bridgeman’s parents had been in negotiations with the AFP to facilitate their son’s return. It is understood they were finalising plans for a flight home via Singapore when his passport was cancelled. |