Accused Bondi killer Naveed Akram appears in Australia court via video link
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Naveed Akram's charges include terrorism and 15 counts of murder.
PHOTO: AFP
SYDNEY - Accused Bondi Beach killer Naveed Akram appeared in an Australian court via video link on Feb 16, in his first public hearing since the nation’s worst mass shooting in nearly three decades.
Naveed, 24, and his father Sajid allegedly attacked a Jewish Hanukkah celebration in December.
Sajid was shot and killed by police during the attack.
Naveed has been charged with terrorism, 15 counts of murder, dozens of counts of causing wounds to a person with intent to kill, and planting explosions.
He appeared in a Sydney court for about five minutes via video link from prison, according to a statement from the court and local media.
The timeline of evidence was also discussed, the court said.
Naveed wore a green jumper during the hearing, which dealt mostly with technical matters such as suppressing the identification of some victims, local media said.
He reportedly spoke only one word – “yeah” – when asked by the judge whether he had heard a discussion about the extension of suppression orders.
Naveed will next appear in court on March 9.
Speaking outside the court, his lawyer Ben Archbold said his client was being held in “very onerous conditions”, ABC said.
He also said it was too early to say whether Naveed would plead guilty.
The mass shooting sparked national soul-searching in Australia about anti-Semitism, anger over the failure to shield Jewish Australians from harm, and promises to stiffen gun laws.
Among the victims of the December attack were an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor, a couple who confronted one of the gunmen, and a 10-year-old girl, Matilda
Police and intelligence agencies are also facing difficult questions about whether they could have acted earlier.
Naveed was flagged by Australia’s intelligence agency in 2019, but slipped off the radar after the agency decided that he posed no imminent threat.
Police documents released following the attack said he and his father had carried out “firearms training” in what was believed to be the New South Wales countryside prior to the shooting.
They said the suspects “meticulously planned” the attack for months, releasing pictures showing them firing shotguns and moving in what they described as a “tactical manner”.
The pair also recorded a video in October railing against “Zionists” while sitting in front of a flag of the Islamic State jihadist group and detailing their motivations for the attack, police said. AFP
