ISIS sympathiser jailed for Syria incursion

The parents of an IS sympathiser who travelled to Syria to fight the Assad regime say they did everything in their power to stop him.

Mehmet Biber was today jailed for a minimum of two and a half years on a foreign incursion charge, though he claims he never actually fought in Syria and found it "boring".

His father Gaven Biber went to great lengths to stop him, contacting authorities four times in the weeks before.

Today, he said he was angry with the AFP.

"And unfortunately we lost young souls because of their inaction, so that's the most disappointing part of this story," he said.

He also blamed Parramatta High School for playing a part in his son's radicalisation, labelling it a religious hothouse.

Mr Biber's good example and steadfast support meant Mehmet was unlikely to reoffend, Christine Adamson said.

Biber told a sentence hearing he went there because he sympathised with women and children who were suffering there under the Assad regime.

The Islamic State sympathiser intended to fight with the insurgent group Ahrar al-Sham, but he said he spent most days lying around or kicking a soccer ball.

“We were extremely bored.”

"If anything I was a burden to these people, feeding me and taking us around, practically treating us like kids, pretty much babysitting us.”

Biber said he posed for a photograph holding a rifle because “it looked cool.”

He claimed he never fought but would have if given the chance.

He returned to Australia in 2014 and Nine News was there when he was arrested during counter terrorism raids in 2016.

Biber pleaded guilty to entering a foreign state intending hostile activity.

Justice Christine Adamson found while that was his principal intention, he also had other ideas.

“I accept that he also envisaged being able to help in other non violent ways.”

She also noted he grew up in a stable family with loving parents, with his father even trying to tip off the Australian Federal Police to his intention to travel to Syria.

Outside court Gaven Biber said he was angry that authorities had not done more, and also at Parramatta High School where his son was exposed to extremism.