Detention of a radicalised Singaporean and suspension of Order of Detention under the Internal Security Act

1. Singaporean Ahmed Hussein Abdul Kadir s/o Sheik Uduman (Ahmed), a 33-year-old Information Technology Engineer, was detained in August 2018 under the Internal Security Act (ISA). Investigations showed that he was radicalised and wanted to undertake armed violence in Syria in support of the terrorist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

2. Ahmed’s path to radicalisation began in 2013 when he turned to the Internet for religious knowledge. Among other things, he followed the lectures of foreign radical ideologues, such as Anwar al-Awlaki (the deceased Al-Qaeda ideologue) and several others who have been arrested or imprisoned for inciting violence or espousing support for terrorism. He grew to believe that the use of violence in the name of religion was justified and by late 2016, he was convinced that he should fight and die as a martyr for ISIS in its self-proclaimed caliphate in Syria and Iraq.

3. Ahmed maintained regular contact with foreign pro-ISIS individuals on social media to keep up with the developments in ISIS. He also tried to influence some of his foreign online contacts to follow the violent teachings of the radical ideologues whom he had been following, because he wanted them to support ISIS.

Release on Suspension Direction

4. Munavar Baig Amina Begam (Amina), a 39-year-old self-radicalised individual, was issued with a Suspension Direction ^[1] (SD) in July 2018.She was detained in November 2017 for supporting ISIS and harbouring the intention to make her way to Syria to join the terrorist group. Her Order of Detention was suspended in July 2018 and she was released from detention, after it was assessed that she no longer posed an imminent security threat that required her to be placed in preventive detention.

[1] A person issued with a SD must abide by several conditions and restrictions. For example, the person is not permitted to change his residence or employment, or travel out of Singapore, without the prior approval of Director ISD. The person also cannot issue public statements, address public meetings or print, distribute, contribute to any publication, hold office in, or be a member of any organisation, association or group without the prior approval of Director ISD.