Listing of Ansar Allah as a terrorist organisation

Today the Australian Government has listed Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, as a terrorist organisation under the Criminal Code Act 1995 (the Criminal Code).

Ansar Allah’s violent attacks in the Gulf of Aden and surrounding region have killed civilians, taken hostages and severely disrupted navigational rights and freedoms in the waters around the Arabian Peninsula, undermining maritime security and global prosperity.

The Government’s decision to list Ansar Allah follows advice from Australia’s security agencies that Ansar Allah is directly or indirectly engaged in the preparing, planning, assisting in, or fostering of terrorist attacks.

Listing as a terrorist organisation under the Criminal Code supports the prosecution of a range of terrorism offences and puts the community on notice that it is a criminal offence to assist that organisation.

Under Division 102 of the Criminal Code it is an offence to be a member of, associate with members of, participate in, train with, or provide support to, a terrorist organisation. These offences are punishable by up to 25 years imprisonment.

The addition of Ansar Allah brings the number of listed terrorist organisations under the Criminal Code to 30. The full list can be found at the National Security website.

Listing Ansar Allah as a terrorist organisation complements the sanctions in place in relation to the entity.

Further information on terrorist organisation offences is available from the Attorney-General’s Department website.