Accused Bondi Beach gunman Naveed Akram appeared via video link in a Sydney court in his first public hearing since a December attack on a Jewish Hanukkah celebration that authorities have called Australia’s worst mass shooting in nearly three decades. Akram is charged with terrorism and 15 counts of murder in connection with the rampage.
The brief hearing focused largely on procedural matters, including the continued suppression of some victims’ identities, according to local media reports. Akram, who wore a green jumper, spoke only once during the session, responding “yeah” when the judge asked if he had heard a discussion about extending the suppression orders, media said.
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Outside the court, Akram’s lawyer, Ben Archbold, said his client is being held in “very onerous conditions,” the ABC reported. Archbold added it was too early to indicate whether Akram would plead guilty.
The December assault targeted a Hanukkah gathering and left deep scars across Sydney’s Jewish community and the nation. Among the dead were an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor, a couple who confronted one of the attackers, and a 10-year-old girl, underscoring the breadth of the tragedy and the swiftness with which the violence unfolded.
Police have said Akram’s father, Sajid, was shot and killed by officers during the attack. Authorities have not publicly identified all of the victims, and the court has moved to protect certain identities as the case proceeds.
The charges against Akram mark the start of what is likely to be a lengthy legal process in a case that has already reverberated beyond the courtroom. National leaders and community advocates condemned the violence at the time, and the attack has intensified debate over security at religious events, community cohesion and the adequacy of counterterrorism laws.
In the wake of the Bondi attack, Australia passed tougher gun laws. Lawmakers framed the measures as part of a broader effort to tighten oversight and reduce the risk of mass violence, reflecting a familiar national response to firearm-related tragedies.
Wednesday’s hearing offered few substantive details about the prosecution’s case beyond the charges already on the record, and no timetable was provided for the next steps. Akram remains in custody as proceedings continue under tight security and with ongoing restrictions on what can be reported.
The court’s actions underscore the balance judges often strike in high-profile terrorism and homicide cases—protecting the integrity of the investigation and the privacy of victims while allowing the public a view into the justice process. For families of the dead and a community still grieving, the appearance marked an incremental but significant movement toward legal resolution in one of the nation’s most traumatic recent crimes.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
