Mamdouh Habib - 1990s

1990s

According to the ABC Current Affairs program Four Corners the (Australian) Defence Housing Authority took out an apprehended violence order against him, claiming he made a threatening phone call following the unjustified cancellation of a contract Habib had with the organisation. Habib says the alleged phone call was nothing more than an argument over a contract. In court his psychiatrist testified that Habib was suffering from major depression and was being treated with Prozac, but that he was not prone to violence. A witness stated at the trial; "He is irritable. He has been preoccupied with a sense of hopelessness about his future. He has become withdrawn and he has been very agitated at home and he has been crying excessively as well. There is no evidence to suggest that he is aggressive or about to become aggressive or violent. He is not dangerous at this point."

According to the same programme, in early 2001 at a meeting with police, Habib was described as showing "signs of hostility towards government organisations and the community generally". The Protective Services Group was asked to do "a detailed threat assessment" of Mr Habib. The final conclusion was that there was no information to support concerns that Habib might carry out an act of violence. The police decided Habib was "a repetitious and vexatious complainant" and that "little credibility could be attributed to any threats or allegations he may make".

On 1 May 2009, Habib lost an appeal in the Full Federal Court against a 2007 Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) decision that affirmed the former Foreign Affairs minister's decision in 2006 to refuse Mr Habib an Australian passport. Mr Habib had appealed to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) against that decision. The AAT concluded that Mr Habib and his wife had given false evidence in the proceedings. The tribunal used this conclusion to find Mr Habib still held the same extremist sentiments that it was accepted he had held before 2001.