Sydney Man Found Guilty Of Planning Terror Attacks On Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras
On Thursday, September 15, Sydney man Hamdi Alqudsi was convicted of allegedly organising attacks on Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras in 2014. Mardi Gras was one of the events among others that were targeted by the terrorist organisation Shura, reports The Sydney Morning Herald.
ALQUDSI WAS CHARGED WITH BEING THE LEADER OF SHURA
The NSW Supreme Court handed down a guilty verdict after evidence was presented at trial that Mr Alqudsi was responsible for leading terrorist organisation, the Shura from August to December of 2014.
The groups plans allegedly show organisation for attacks on Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras, the Garden Island Naval Base in the Sydney suburb of Woolloomooloo, a courthouse, and the Australian Federal Police, reports The Sydney Morning Herald.
The Shura was formed in 2013 with Alqudsi and other members swearing allegiance to the Islamic State. The group’s primary focus was to send fighters to Syria to support the Islamic State’s civil war. Once these plans were discovered and thwarted by Australian authorities, the Shura allegedly pivoted to planning domestic attacks.
The prosecution presented evidence that the Shura, led at the time by Hamdi Alqudsi, would meet at houses in Revesby and St Helens Park that belonged to Mr Alqudsi. The trial also produced phone wire taps, which allegedly demonstrate how the Shura members organised the Mardi Gras attacks.
According to Star Observer, these phone taps revealed that Mr Alqudsi spoke with contacts in Syria, including one by the name of Mohammad Ali Baryalei, and would have someone fly to Australia and train the Shura members in building and implementing explosive devices.
Hamdi Alqudsi remained firm in his stance that he is innocent and that he only engaged with members of the Shura socially.
