Australia to release convicted terrorist from prison under strict conditions

A convicted terrorist whom Australia had wanted to strip of his citizenship and deport will be released into the community under strict conditions

CANBERRA, Australia -- A convicted terrorist whom Australia had wanted to strip of his citizenship and deport will be released into the community on Tuesday under strict conditions.

Algerian-born Muslim cleric Abdul Benbrika will be released from prison on a supervision order for 12 months following a ruling by Victoria state Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth. Police had argued for the order to last for three years.

Benbrika must wear an electronic ankle bracelet to track his movements and abide by a nightly curfew.

The 63-year-old was convicted in 2008 of three terrorism charges related to a plot to cause mass casualties at a public event in Melbourne. No attack took place.

He was sentenced to 15 years in prison and would have been released in 2020. But his sentence was extended by three years under a recent law that allowed the continued detention of prisoners convicted of terrorism offenses if a judge ruled they posed an unacceptable risk to the community if released.