Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras Terror Plot Leader Jailed For 15 Years
A Sydney man has been sentenced to 15 years in jail for allegedly leading a terrorist organisation that planned attacks on the Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras, a naval base, a courthouse, and Australian Federal Police officers who attended court. Hamdi Alqudsi, 48, was found guilty by a jury last year for directing the activities of an organisation known as “the Shura”, which allegedly plotted these attacks between August and December 2014 reports the Sydney Morning Herald.
Formation of “The Shura”
According to Justice Stephen Rothman of the NSW Supreme Court, the Shura was initially formed to help people travel to Syria to fight, but it eventually shifted to plotting domestic terrorism. Alqudsi described himself as the commander of the group. The group discussed pledging allegiance to Islamic State or al-Qaeda, including flying an IS flag on Sydney Harbour Bridge and having someone come to Sydney from Syria to teach them how to make improvised explosive devices.
Targets Discussed
The group picked several targets and held several meetings where suggestions included an attack on the Garden Island naval base in Sydney, an attack on AFP officers at court, the Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras, the Israeli embassy, and random attacks on “unbelievers”. Alqudsi claimed he had been given the green light from IS to attack the naval base, the judge said.
Jail Sentence
Justice Rothman said the planning was in its early stages when Alqudsi and others in his group were arrested, but “such an occurrence says more about law enforcement agencies and their capacity than it does about the offender”. He jailed Alqudsi for 15 years, with a non-parole period of 11 years and three months, backdated to 2019 to include time already served in custody. Alqudsi will be eligible for parole in February 2031.
Targets And Possible Casualties
Rothman said an attack on the naval base would have involved loss of life and serious injury, as would the attack on the court, and said both targets were involved in the function of democracy. “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.
Alqudsi’s Lack Of Remorse
The judge said there had been some evidence of contrition and remorse, in the form of Alqudsi indicating that he no longer held extremist beliefs. However, Justice Rothman said he was not satisfied that Alqudsi had expressed remorse for his previous convictions, which included seven counts of providing services with the intention of supporting hostile acts in Syria in 2013.
