An Australian man awaiting trial in Baghdad on charges related to affiliation with the Islamic State group has confessed to involvement with the terrorist organisation but maintained that his family was drawn into the conflict through the influence of his eldest son, who rose to a senior ISIS position. The man, identified in court documents as Hicham Khadier Tawfeeq but known as Hicham Zahab, is one of 13 Australian nationals currently detained in Iraq as part of a large wave of ISIS-related prosecutions.

Ahmed Abdul Rahman, an Iraqi lawyer appointed by the court to represent Zahab during pre-trial investigations, said his client made a voluntary and explicit confession to charges including participation in terrorist operations in Syria. Rahman emphasized that Zahab denied any torture or coercion in obtaining his statement and reported satisfactory living conditions while in custody. The lawyer recalled asking Zahab directly about mistreatment and confirmed the confession was given without external pressure.

Zahab, a Lebanese-born father in his 60s, said he was persuaded to join ISIS by his sons, whom he described as having "filled his head" with extremist ideology. He travelled with them from Australia to Syria in 2015. Both his eldest son Muhammad – a former math teacher in Sydney who became a senior ISIS commander – and another son, Khaled, were reportedly killed in the final phases of the caliphate. Zahab’s youngest son, Yusuf, who was only 12 when the family left Australia, remains detained in Baghdad’s al-Karkh prison but is considered by Iraqi authorities to be a civilian and may be eligible for release to Australian officials upon request.

Despite calls from Iraqi officials for foreign governments to repatriate nationals not convicted of crimes within Iraq, the Australian government has maintained a policy of not assisting in the return of individuals linked to ISIS. Zahab’s wife Aminah, daughter Sumaya, and niece Nesrine were among a group of Australian ISIS-affiliated women and children returned from Syrian detention camps to Australia in May following the issuance of passports to nearly three dozen citizens, including Yusuf.

Human Rights Watch has raised concerns over the treatment of more than 5,700 men and boys transferred from northeast Syrian prisons to Iraq since early 2026. The rights organisation warns of risks including abuse and forced confessions amid ongoing judicial proceedings against those accused of ISIS membership. Iraq’s judicial authorities announced last month that interrogations of thousands of detainees had concluded and that trials would commence soon. However, some detainees, including a group of French nationals transferred from Syria in 2025, have alleged that confessions were extracted under torture, claims rejected by Iraqi officials.

Rahman also noted that while embassy officials from several countries have attended the formal questioning of their detained nationals, no Australian embassy representatives were present during Zahab's interrogation process, despite having the right to observe. Zahab expressed deep remorse for his involvement with ISIS, lamenting the loss of his sons and describing their path as grounded in a "false illusion."

The fate of Zahab and others awaiting trial remains uncertain as they hope either to serve sentences in Australia through possible prisoner transfer agreements or fully complete sentences in Iraqi custody. The case highlights ongoing challenges faced by foreign governments regarding the repatriation and prosecution of citizens alleged to have joined ISIS during the group’s peak from 2014 to 2019.