Australian Man Accused of Spreading Islamic State Propaganda

Authorities in Melbourne, Australia, have accused a 65-year-old citizen of pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group and distributing thousands of pieces of extremist propaganda online over a period of years, officials announced Wednesday.

The man, whose name has not been released, faces charges of being a member of a terrorist organization and transmitting violent extremist material via an encrypted messaging application. The maximum penalty for these offenses is 10 years in prison.

According to the federal police, the man transmitted approximately 10,000 files containing extremist content, including material depicting executions, torture, and Islamic State propaganda, between 2015 and 2020. Investigators also allege that he shared information on how to evade law enforcement detection and provided instructional guides for planning and executing mass casualty attacks.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Paula Hudson stated that the scale and distribution of these materials positioned the man as a primary distributor of Islamic State propaganda within the group. "The material glorified acts of violence and terrorism, spreading hateful ideology that is designed to radicalize others," Hudson said.

The investigation into the man began in 2020 when border officials inspected his luggage as he departed Australia for a six-month trip to Egypt. He has not been known to travel abroad since that time and has not been linked to any specific attack or plot, authorities said.

This arrest is the seventh in Victoria state since May involving allegations of possessing or distributing Islamic State content online. Federal police have not indicated if this latest arrest is connected to the other six cases.

Earlier in January, a 30-year-old Melbourne man was arrested and charged with possessing violent extremist content while attempting to leave Australia for the Middle East. Authorities allege he was part of an online group chat with five other men from Victoria who were arrested in May and face charges related to possessing extremist material, including Islamic State propaganda.

The Islamic State group, though significantly weakened since a 2019 U.S.-led military intervention drove it from territory in Iraq and Syria, continues to operate through active cells and has inspired attacks in Western countries. In Australia, authorities allege that a mass shooting at a Hanukkah event in 2025, which resulted in 15 deaths, was motivated by the shooters' affiliations with the Islamic State group.

According to Australia's national security agencies, an estimated 200 Australians traveled to Syria and Iraq to join the Islamic State group between 2012 and 2019. Dozens more are believed to have assisted the group by supporting individuals overseas or by planning or executing terrorist attacks within Australia.