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Australia proposes new laws to keep extremists in prison

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CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — The Australian government has introduced legislation to Parliament that would give authorities more power to keep extremists behind bars after they have served prison sentences if they are still considered dangerous.

The move on Thursday is a response to a 2017 siege in which a gunman who once trained with Muslim extremists killed a Melbourne apartment building receptionist and wounded three police officers months after being released early from prison.

The bill has been introduced as the government is accused of trampling human rights as it ratchets up national security laws in response to the evolving threat posed by militants such as the Islamic State group.

Attorney General Christian Porter says the proposed law closes a loophole that prevents some extremists from being ordered to remain in custody.