Australian IS doctor's registration still listed

An Australian doctor who joined Islamic State is still listed as a registered practitioner, despite vowing to never return to his former homeland.

Tareq Kamleh

Tareq Kamleh (Facebook) Source: Facebook

Tareq Kamleh worked in Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia before being recruited to the extremist group.

On Monday, the Adelaide-trained physician was still listed on the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency internet database.

According to the web records, his registration started in December 2010 and will expire in September.

It's understood he is being investigated by the Medical Board of Australia, in liaison with the Australian Federal Police.

Medical authorities have declined to comment on the status of the investigation.

Kamleh maintained he had not breached any professional standards in an open letter to AHPRA posted to his Facebook page on Saturday.

"I formally deny that I have ever taken part in unprofessional conduct which would have jeopardised my doctor-patient relationship," he wrote.

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 now also goes by the name Abu Yousef Al-Australie - vowed never to return to Australia.

"I have finally returned home," he said.

He has previously appeared in an IS propaganda YouTube video calling for other medical professionals to join him in the Middle East.


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