Camilla Jessen
Bondi Beach shooting suspect appears in court months after deadly attack.
One of the men accused over the fatal Bondi Beach shooting has appeared in court for the first time, months after the attack that left 15 people dead during Hanukkah celebrations in Sydney.
Naveed Akram, 24, appeared via video link from prison on Monday for a short procedural hearing at Downing Centre Local Court.
The December 14 attack unfolded at Bondi Beach in New South Wales, Australia, where hundreds had gathered for a Jewish community event.
Fifteen people were killed and dozens injured. Police fatally shot a second suspect at the scene, identified as 50-year-old Sajid Akram, who authorities say was Naveed’s father.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese previously said investigators believed the attack was motivated by Islamic State ideology.
Court appearance
Akram faces 59 charges, including 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act, according to Australian media reports.
The hearing lasted less than 10 minutes. During proceedings, Deputy Chief Magistrate Sharon Freund extended a suppression order protecting the identities of some victims.
When asked if he understood what had been discussed, Akram replied, “Yep.” After being told his solicitor would contact him, he responded, “Yeah.”
He did not enter a plea.
His lawyer, Ben Archbold, declined to comment on how his client would plead when asked by reporters outside court.
“There’s a client that needs to be represented. And we don’t let our personal view get in the way of our professional application,” he said.
Archbold added that Akram is being held in maximum-security conditions and is doing “as well as expected”.
Akram is due to return to court on April 8.
Investigation details
Court documents released late last year allege that Naveed and Sajid Akram carried out firearms training in regional New South Wales in the weeks before the attack.
Police said a video recovered during the investigation showed the pair “firing shotguns and moving in a tactical manner”.
Authorities have described the shooting as one of the deadliest attacks in Australia in recent years. The investigation remains ongoing.
Sources: BBC News, ABC News, Unilad
