ASIO intelligence used to jail mother in Yemen, say activists

as posted here ... ASIO intelligence used to jail mother in Yemen, say activists

AUSTRALIA provided intelligence about a Yemeni-based Sydney woman - who was subsequently jailed and her young children placed under home detention - to Yemeni security police via the FBI, a Yemeni human rights organisation says.

The head of Yemen's National Organisation for Defending Rights and Freedoms, Mohamed Naji Allawo, has told the Herald Shyloh Giddins, 30, from Bankstown, was arrested after the FBI provided information on her. The FBI received its information about Ms Giddins - who converted to Islam in Sydney and then moved to Yemen - from Australia, Mr Allawo said. The FBI has a permanent presence in Yemen.

''We believe … the Yemeni government collected some information in co-operation with the Australian [government],'' Mr Allawo said through an interpreter.

The Foreign Minister, Stephen Smith, cancelled Ms Giddins's Australian passport on April 10 at ASIO's request. Her Australian lawyer, Stephen Hopper, received a letter from the Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday saying: ''ASIO assesses Giddins has an extremist interpretation of Islam and her activities in Yemen are prejudicial to security.''

Mr Smith refused to confirm if Australia provided intelligence, citing operational concerns.

Ms Giddins, who has lived in Yemen with her children aged 4 and 7 since 2006, was interviewed by Yemen's National Security Bureau on May 14 and arrested two days later. She is being held at Sanaa central prison and has been refused access to a lawyer.

She is the former sister-in-law of Mazen Touma, one of nine Sydney men convicted of plotting terrorist attacks in Australia.