'Jihad Jack' cleared of terrorism

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A man dubbed "Jihad Jack" by the Australian media has been cleared of receiving funds from al-Qaeda by jurors in Victoria's Supreme Court.

But Joseph Thomas, 35, was convicted of falsifying a passport, for which he could face a substantial penalty.

The judgements are the latest in a long-running saga which has seen Thomas convicted, cleared, and then retried.

His lawyer said the case raised concerns about the erosion of civil liberties in Australia.

Thomas, a Muslim convert, was arrested in Pakistan in 2003 having trained in an al-Qaeda camp in Afghanistan.

He was returned to Australia to stand trial under tough anti-terrorism laws introduced in the months after the 11 September 2001 attacks in the US.

Twists and turns

In 2006 he was found guilty of accepting A$5,000 (then $3,500) and a plane ticket from an al-Qaeda agent in Pakistan as well as holding a false passport. He was sentenced to five years in jail.

But Thomas appealed on the grounds that some of the evidence used against him - gathered during interrogations by Australian police in Pakistan - was conducted under duress and should not have been admissible at his trial.

It has been a difficult period for him very obviously, and it has now come to the satisfactory end Jim KennanDefence lawyer

The defence also argued that there was no direct paper trail linking the money or ticket Thomas received to al-Qaeda.

The appeal court agreed, quashing his conviction in August 2006.

But prosecutors successfully sought a retrial after Thomas gave interviews with Australian media in which he spoke about meeting Osama Bin Laden. He described the al-Qaeda chief as "polite, humble and shy".

Thomas pleaded not guilty to receiving funds from a terrorist group and possession of a false passport.

On Thursday he was cleared on the first count and found guilty on the second.

He has been released on bail and must return to court next week for a pre-sentence hearing. He could face up to 10 years in jail and a large fine.

'Difficult'

Thomas's lawyer, Jim Kennan, said his client's acquittal on all terror-related charges was a "matter of great satisfaction" to him, reported the Australian Associated Press news agency.

But he said a retrial should never have been allowed in the first place.

Mr Kennan said the trial had been a "difficult period" for Thomas, and raised questions about Australia's anti-terrorism laws.

"It has been a difficult period for him very obviously, and it has now come to the satisfactory end," he said.

"We are concerned about the terrorist laws and we are concerned about the erosion of civil liberties and I think this country needs a bill of rights," he said.

There was no comment from prosecutors.