Aussie doctor suspended for helping IS

An Australian doctor who has gone to Syria to aid Islamic State militants has had his medical registration suspended.

An Australian doctor wanted for aiding Islamic State militants in Syria has had his medical registration suspended.

Dr Tareq Kamleh hit the headlines earlier this year when he featured in an IS propaganda video, calling on other medical professionals to join him in the Middle East.

The Medical Board of Australia announced on Tuesday it had suspended Kamleh's registration, effective from July 8.

The move comes almost a month after South Australian counter-terrorism authorities said they had a warrant for his arrest on charges of recruiting for a terrorist organisation and entering a declared area.

The medical board explained the delay by pointing out it was legally obliged to complete a three-step process before ordering a suspension.

The board said the decision was made in line with its responsibility to protect the public and ensure only practitioners who provide safe and ethical care are registered to practise.

Kamleh has previously used an open letter on Facebook to insist to medical authorities that he had not breached any professional standards.

"I formally deny that I have ever taken part in unprofessional conduct which would have jeopardised my doctor-patient relationship," wrote Kamleh, who also goes by the name Abu Yousef Al-Australie.

He also denied he was brainwashed into joining IS and said his decision to venture to Syria was a "well-educated and calculated" one.

Kamleh, who has worked in Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia, has vowed never to return to Australia.

In the propaganda video, he appeared in medical scrubs telling viewers that IS had medical supplies and was running a good health system, but needed qualified doctors, physiotherapists, nurses and dentists.

He said he left Australia to live under the Khalifa in the IS stronghold town of Raqqa in Syria.


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world