A Sydney man has been jailed for 15 years after he led a terrorist organisation that plotted to attack the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and a series of other targets in New South Wales.
Warning: This story has details of violence directed at LGBTIQA+ people, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.
Last September a Sydney court for 48-year-old Hamdi Alqudsi guilty in the NSW Supreme Court of directing the activites of an organisation known as “the Shura”. They planned attacks between August and December 2014, and among their targets were the Mardi Gras, a naval base, a courthouse and federal police who were attending court according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Today in court Justice Stephen Rothman said the Shura was formed to help people travel to Syria to fight, but theur attention soon shifted to domestic terrorism. Alqudsi described himself as the commander of the group.
The group held several meetings where they discussed potential targets, as well as random attacks on “unbelievers”. They also discussed flying the Isis flag from the Sydney Harbour Bridge and having someone visiting Sydney from Syria to teach them how to make explosive devices.
While the group were apprehended and reested by police long before they could put their plan into action the judge said “such an occurrence says more about law enforcement agencies and their capacity than it does about the offender”.
“There can be no doubt on the evidence before the court that the conduct was contemplated and would have been catastrophic.”
“An attack on the Mardi Gras, particularly if it occurred by way of improvised explosive device – for which training was to have been received – would have been horrendous and targeted innocent members of the public,” Rothman said.
Hamdi Alqudsi was given a non-parole period of eleven years. His sentence was backdated to 2019 to include time already spent in custody. He will be eligible for parole in 2031.
OIP Staff
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