The Queensland man who fought with Kurdish forces in Syria was interviewed by police after arriving in Melbourne, then released, his lawyer says

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

A Queensland man who fought against Islamic State in Syria has arrived back in Australia and is understood to have been released without charge after police interviewed him at Melbourne airport.

Ashley Dyball, 23, was deported from Germany on Saturday night and arrived in Melbourne on Sunday night.

He was met by Australian federal police officers, who took him for questioning for several hours. His lawyer Jessie Smith said he was “interviewed, released without charge pending further enquiry”, the ABC reported.

Dyball left Brisbane in May to fight with Kurdish forces against Isis in northern Syria. He was arrested in Germany earlier this week.

Reece Harding funeral: family pledges to further Kurdish cause he lost his life for Read more

Photos on his Facebook page showed him being reunited with his parents, Scott and Julia Dyball, early on Monday morning.

Julia Dyball told the media at the airport that her son was glad to be back but would need help after witnessing beheadings and other atrocities committed by Isis.

“He’s seen bombs put on the bottom of slippery slides … they put bombs in blankets … they put bombs in fridges,” she said.

Dyball travelled to the frontline in May despite federal government warnings it is an offence for Australian citizens to involve themselves in the conflicts in Iraq and Syria under the foreign fighters legislation, passed in October 2014. Those found to have been involved in the fighting face prosecution upon their return to Australia.

The AFP said any Australian identified as a threat to security would be investigated by the relevant agencies.

“Australians have been consistently warned that by becoming involved in overseas conflict they are putting their own lives in mortal danger,” a spokesman said in a statement on Monday.

Julia Dyball said her son had no idea what he was in for when he left for the Middle East.

“He didn’t even know about the laws when he left,” she said.

His father said: “No one knew about the laws ... that’s the whole point.”

Gold Coast woman Michele Harding, whose son Reece died while fighting against Islamic State, travelled with the Dyballs from Melbourne to Brisbane.

Wiping back tears, she said she was happy Ashley Dyball had made it home safely.

“I didn’t want him to stay there because he had no choice and to come home in a coffin,” she said. “To get off that plane with him – we’re family now. It’s really personal.”