Bondi beach mass shooting suspect makes first court appearance

WEB DESK: The man accused in the deadly Bondi Beach mass shooting, Naveed Akram, made his first public court appearance on Monday via video link from prison. This was his initial hearing since what has been described as Australia’s most severe mass shooting in nearly 30 years.

According to AFP, Akram, together with his father Sajid, is alleged to have carried out an attack during a Hanukkah celebration in December. Sajid was shot and killed by police officers responding to the incident. Akram has been charged with terrorism-related offences, 15 counts of murder, dozens of counts of wounding a person with intent to cause death, and planting explosives.

The short five-minute session was held in a Sydney court. Akram appeared from custody wearing a green jersey. The hearing mainly covered procedural and technical matters, including the extension of suppression orders to protect the identities of some victims. According to media reports, when the judge asked if he had understood the discussion about the suppression orders, Akram replied with a single word: “yeah”. His next scheduled court date is March 9.

According to Akram’s lawyer Ben Archbold, he stated that his client is being held under “very onerous” (extremely strict and difficult) prison conditions. He further added that it is still too early to determine whether Akram will enter a guilty plea.

National impact and soul-searching

The December attack has prompted intense national reflection in Australia. It has sparked widespread discussions about rising antisemitism, serious concerns over the protection of Jewish communities, and renewed calls for stronger gun control laws.

Police and intelligence agencies are facing scrutiny about whether earlier action could have prevented the attack. Akram had been flagged by Australian intelligence in 2019 as a potential concern, but authorities later assessed that he did not pose an imminent threat and he was removed from active monitoring.

Police documents released after the attack reveal that Akram and his father conducted “firearms training” in rural New South Wales. They are said to have meticulously planned the assault over several months. Images released by police show the pair firing shotguns and moving in a “tactical manner”.

In October, they reportedly recorded a video expressing hostility toward “Zionists” while sitting in front of an Islamic State flag and explaining their motivations for the attack.

The pair made a nighttime reconnaissance visit to Bondi Beach just days before the killings. A few weeks prior to the attack, they had returned to Sydney after spending four weeks in the southern Philippines.