Aussie men suspected of being ISIS fighters to see the 'full force of the law' if they return home - as Labor faces tough questions on national security

By CAITLIN POWELL - NEWS REPORTER Published: 01:31, 10 July 2026 | Updated: 01:33, 10 July 2026 The husbands of two so-called ISIS brides and several Australian men suspected of fighting for the terror group would face the 'full force of the law' if they returned home.  The group of about 13 nationals have been living in cramped, dangerous prison conditions in Baghdad, Iraq, since Islamic State fell in 2019. It was confirmed on Thursday that they will be questioned by US officials and Iraqi authorities about whether they were involved with the terrorist group. The interrogations could result in some of the group being released from prison, raising questions about where they would go next and if they would return to Australia.  But the Albanese government has ruled out supporting any efforts made by the group to come back, and said the men will face justice if they do. 'These men certainly will not be getting any assistance from the government to try to come back home,' Health Minister Mark Butler told Sunrise on Friday. 'And if they do cross our borders, they'll be met with the full force of the law, including the possibility of charges being laid, as has happened to the women.' Butler said there are strict constitutional limitations on what the government can do when trying to stop citizens attempting to return to Australia.  Health Minister Mark Butler (pictured) said a group of Australian men suspected of fighting for Islamic State will not be getting any assistance from the government to come home The men are living in cramped, dangerous conditions at an Iraqi prison (Pictured, suspected Islamic State members sit inside a small room in a prison south of Mosul, Iraq) One of the group is believed to be Mohammed Ahmad, the husband of Kawsar Abbas and father of Zeinab Ahmad. The two women are facing court proceedings in Australia after being charged with allegedly enslaving a Yazidi woman after their return from Syria The current legal system was introduced under the former Coalition government with Labor's bipartisan support, Butler said. This includes temporary exclusion orders preventing people from returning if they pose a national security risk, and powers to prosecute those accused of committing offences overseas. But Deputy Opposition Leader Jane Hume told Nat Barr on Sunrise that Labor must be more transparent about how it would manage the possible return of the men. 'You can't simply deal with this as a political problem. This is a national security problem,' she said. 'What we want to know is what is the plan for these people? If they are going to come back to Australia, well what are you going to do with them? Do they pose a danger to the country?' Butler said there is already a strategy and it is the same plan established under the previous Coalition government. 'We didn't fight politics with this. We recognised this as a complex issue of national security ... and of course that's what we'll do,' he said. Among the Australians due to be processed in the Baghdad prison is Nabil Kadmiry, whose wife Kirsty Rosse-Emile returned to Australia with a group of ISIS brides earlier this year. Deputy Opposition Leader Jane Hume (pictured) said Labor must be more transparent about how it would manage the possible return of the men Yusuf Zahab, the son of ISIS bride Aminah Zahab, is also believed to be among the jailed men Mohammed Ahmad, the husband of Kawsar Abbas and father of Zeinab Ahmad, is among the detainees. The two women are facing court proceedings in Australia after being charged with allegedly enslaving a Yazidi woman after their return from Syria. Yusuf Zahab, the son of ISIS bride Aminah Zahab, is also believed to be among the jailed men after being separated from his mother as a child and held in prisons in Syria and Iraq. The remaining Australians in the Baghdad prison are believed to include Deniz Hasan, Jamil Ahmed Shqeir, Mahir Abser Ala, Yusuf Mohammad Yusuf, Mohammad Noor Masri, Ahmad Assaad, Majeed Raad and Hamza Elbaf, The Australian reported. 'The Australians form part of a larger cohort of detainees [who will be] interviewed,' an anonymous Iraqi Correctional Services staffer said. 'We don't know when they will be interviewed or how long it could take, but they will be spoken to. 'Part of Iraq's ongoing efforts to manage the file of detainees accused of terrorism includes a handover process that contributes to achieving justice.'  They said conditions for the group were 'not pleasant', particularly as Baghdad has experienced drone strikes, rocket attacks and other security threats over the years. 'A single cell can house many prisoners so the conditions are not pleasant,' they said. 'Unlike the women and children, who were stuck in a detention camp, these are prisoners accused of serious crimes. 'Many of them, if not all, don't have current passports, so the Australian government would need to approve their removal.' When contacted by Daily Mail Australia for comment on Thursday, an Australian government spokesperson said the Commonwealth is not repatriating people from Iraq.  'The Australian Government does not comment on the circumstances of individuals due to privacy considerations,' they added.