Author: Alasdair Parr
SYDNEY, March 9 (Reuters) – Lawyers for a man accused of a fatal shooting on Sydney’s Bondi Beach sought a court order on Monday to prevent the media from naming his family, saying their safety was at risk.
On December 14, 24-year-old Naveed Akram opened fire during a Jewish Hanukkah celebration, killing 15 people in Australia’s worst mass shooting in decades, police said.
His father, Sajid Akram, was shot dead on the spot by police, who also accused him of the shooting.
Police said the men were inspired by the Islamic State militant group and carried out the attack using several high-powered weapons that the elderly man had obtained legally.
Lawyers for Naveed Akram asked a Sydney court on Monday to ban the names of his mother, brother and sister from being published, as well as their home addresses, jobs and places of school. District Judge Greg Grogan extended the temporary restraining order until next month, citing global media interest in the case.
Akram faces a total of 59 charges over the attack, including 15 counts of murder, 40 counts of wounding with intent to murder and terrorism offences. He has yet to enter a plea.
The case is expected to return briefly to court next week, before a longer hearing on April 8 at which the prosecution will outline its summary of evidence.
The Bundy attack shocked a country with strict gun laws and sparked calls for tighter controls and stronger action against anti-Semitism.
Australia last month launched a government-backed inquiry into anti-Semitism and social cohesion in the country, with findings expected to be reported by December this year.
The government has responded by tightening gun laws and introducing new legislation to combat hate speech.
(Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)