Terror suspect denounces court bias
Mariza Fiamengo and Jamie Duncan
AAP
NEWS.com
________
A Melbourne man charged with terrorism-related offences has told a court he was framed and would not get a fair trial because he was Muslim.
Bassam Raad, 24, of Brunswick, Majed Raad, 21, of Coburg, and Shoue Hammoud, 26, of Hadfield appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court following their arrest on Friday night.
They have been charged with being members of and providing funds to a terrorist organisation between July 2004 and November 2005.
Hammoud and Bassam Raad have also been charged with providing support to a terrorist organisation. The men are the latest to be charged as part of the two-year counter-terrorism investigation Operation Pendennis, that resulted in 19 arrests in Sydney and Melbourne last November.The three men are allegedly members of the same prayer group as the 10 Victorians charged last year.
Melbourne Muslim cleric Abdul Nacer Benbrika, 45, also known as Abu Bakr, is allegedly the spiritual leader of the group and was among those charged last year.Bassam Raad said he was friends with Bakr, they had discussed religion, but denied being a member of a terrorist group or providing it with money.Crown Prosecutor Nick Robinson told the court police had recorded conversations of Bakr and Bassam Raad discussing being involved in a violent act of jihad, attempts to gather firearms and using stolen credit cards for travel for members of the group.
Apr 03, 2006
Mariza Fiamengo and Jamie Duncan
AAP
NEWS.com
________
A Melbourne man charged with terrorism-related offences has told a court he was framed and would not get a fair trial because he was Muslim.
Bassam Raad, 24, of Brunswick, Majed Raad, 21, of Coburg, and Shoue Hammoud, 26, of Hadfield appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court following their arrest on Friday night.
They have been charged with being members of and providing funds to a terrorist organisation between July 2004 and November 2005.
Hammoud and Bassam Raad have also been charged with providing support to a terrorist organisation. The men are the latest to be charged as part of the two-year counter-terrorism investigation Operation Pendennis, that resulted in 19 arrests in Sydney and Melbourne last November.The three men are allegedly members of the same prayer group as the 10 Victorians charged last year.
Melbourne Muslim cleric Abdul Nacer Benbrika, 45, also known as Abu Bakr, is allegedly the spiritual leader of the group and was among those charged last year.Bassam Raad said he was friends with Bakr, they had discussed religion, but denied being a member of a terrorist group or providing it with money.Crown Prosecutor Nick Robinson told the court police had recorded conversations of Bakr and Bassam Raad discussing being involved in a violent act of jihad, attempts to gather firearms and using stolen credit cards for travel for members of the group.
Apr 03, 2006
