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Australian man pleads for amnesty following his return from fighting IS in Syria

Xinhua, December 7, 2015 Adjust font size:

An Australian man who fought against Islamic State (IS) forces in Syria has returned to Australia overnight, following his arrest in Germany on Saturday.

After being detained and interviewed by Australian Federal Police at Melbourne Airport upon his arrival, Ashley Dyball, 23, was released without charge "pending further enquiry" and has pleaded for amnesty.

Dyball left Australia to join Kurdish forces in the fight against IS in May despite government warnings of prosecution for those join the conflict.

Under recently-introduced laws, dual nationals who head to the Middle East to fight on either side of the conflict could be stripped of their citizenship, while Australian citizens face prosecution if they are found to involve themselves in any conflict.

On Monday morning, Dyball left Melbourne airport bound for Brisbane, where he has since been reunited with his family.

His father, Scott Dyball told the press that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull should grant clemency to the 23-year-old, saying the laws against foreign fighting were wrong considering he was fighting against the terrorist organization.

He said his son was a "hero in everyone's books."

"This is wrong, what the government is trying to do to him is wrong," Dyball said on Monday.

"The charges are just so ridiculous, they should be dropped. The law was unclear at the time, if they were clear the boys would not have gone."

In June, Australia's Immigration Minister said of Australians heading to the Middle East: "The reality is... they either die on the battlefield or come back to face jail."

As of Monday, the Federal government has refused to comment as to whether or not it would be proceeding with charges. Endit