- A man accused of killing 15 people faces additional charges.
- The attack happened during the celebration of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah in Sydney.
- The father of the attacker was shot and the son was arrested.
- The government plans to tighten firearms legislation in Australia.
- Prime Minister Albanese emphasized the protection of the Jewish community from extremism.
The man accused of killing 15 people on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, was practicing shooting with his father in the nearby countryside, and the two have filmed a video in which they talk about their motives for the attack. This follows from police documents published on Monday, reports TASR according to the AP and AFP agencies.
Police provided information after Naveed Akram, 24, attended the court hearing via video link from a hospital in Sydney. From there, he was subsequently transported to prison. According to the announcement, Naveed and his 50-year-old father, Sajid Akram, threw four improvised explosive devices at a crowd of people celebrating the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah on December 14, but they did not explode, ABC television reported.
Police officers shot the father and wounded the son at the scene. The anti-Semitic attack came at the start of eight days of Hanukkah celebrations and was Australia’s worst mass shooting in nearly 30 years.
Government of the state of New South Wales Parliament on Monday submitted draft laws on new restrictions, which, according to state Premier Chris Minns, will be the strictest in Australia. According to them, only Australian citizens will be able to obtain a gun license, which would exclude Sajid Akram, who was an Indian citizen with permanent residence in Australia. He also legally owned six rifles and shotguns, while the new legal limit for recreational shooters would be four firearms.
The son was last week charged with 59 offences, including 15 murders, 40 assaults with intent to kill in relation to injured persons and committing an act of terrorism. In addition to the shooting practice, the Akrams made a “reconnaissance” trip to Bondi Beach days before the attack, according to a police document. On the phone of one of the men was a video of the two sitting in front of the flag of the Islamic State jihadist group, quoting from the Koran and denouncing “Zionists”.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday he would push for tougher legislation against hate speech and extremism. “We will not let the terrorists inspired by the Islamic State win. We will not allow them to divide our country and we will overcome this together.” he declared to the press.
“As prime minister, I feel the weight of responsibility for the heinous act that took place during my time in office. I am sorry for what the Jewish community and our entire country has experienced,” Albanese said. “The Government will work every day to protect Jewish Australians, to protect the fundamental right of Australians – to be proud of who they are – to practice their faith, raise their children and participate as fully as possible in Australian society,” he added.
