Sydney (AFP) – The man accused of killing 15 people in the anti-Semitic attack on Bondi Beach near the Australian city of Sydney faces 19 new charges, according to court documents published on Wednesday.
Documents indicate that Naveed Akram is also accused of using deadly force and using a firearm to resist arrest.
The 24-year-old was originally facing charges of terrorism, murder, attempted murder and use of explosives.
Naveed Akram and his father, Sajid, who was killed in the attack, are accused of opening fire during a Hanukkah celebration on December 14 at Bondai Beach near Sydney. This was the deadliest attack in Australia in three decades.
These new charges were published after public hearings began Monday as part of the investigation into the attack. The results of these sessions are expected to be released in December.
Retired judge Virginia Bell, who chairs the committee, said in her opening remarks, “The sharp rise in anti-Semitism that we are seeing in Australia is also occurring in other Western countries, and appears clearly linked to events in the Middle East.”
Speaking about this thorny issue in Australia, which the government has been accused of failing to address, she added, “It is important for people to realize how quickly these events turn into manifestations of violence and hostility towards Australian Jews, simply because they are Jews.”
Naveed Akram’s lawyer, who is being held in a high-security prison, has not yet announced whether his client will plead guilty or not.
According to authorities, the attack was inspired by the ideology of the Islamic State, but the two men did not receive any outside assistance, nor were they members of any terrorist organization.
Naveed Akram was investigated by Australian intelligence in 2019 on suspicion of his links to ISIS.
