Autistic Australian boy cleared of terror offences detained in Singapore after ‘red flag’ put on passport

The boy was charged in an Australian federal police operation but a court later granted a permanent stay in the case, in part because unercover operatives were found to have ‘fed’ the teenager’s fixation on Islamic State. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

The family of an autistic teenager who was targeted in an Australian federal police undercover terrorism operation was detained in Singapore and blocked from international travel after a “red flag” was put on the boy’s passport, despite him being cleared of any criminal offending.

The boy, his parents and two primary-school aged siblings were held overnight in Singapore last month, leading the family to speak out about their treatment at the hands of Australian authorities.