One of three men arrested on terrorism related charges on Friday has told the Melbourne Magistrates Court he was framed by the Australian Federal Police (AFP). Twenty-four-year-old Bassam Raad of Brunswick, 21-year-old Majer Raad of Coburg and 26-year-old Shoue Hammoud of Hadfield have been charged with belonging to a terrorist group and intentionally providing it with funding. They were arrested on Friday and appeared in court today.
The lawyer for two told the court his clients would not be applying for bail.
The other, Raad, said he would be representing himself and he had sacked his solicitors. Raad told the court he will eventually be found guilty because of his religion. When he entered the dock, he made a lewd hand gesture in the direction of AFP officers sitting in court.
Prosecutors alleged he is one of a group of men committed to carrying out a terrorist attack in Australia. Raad told the court he has been framed by the AFP and that in the legal system his Muslim faith will work against him. He was refused bail; all three men have been remanded in custody until a committal hearing in June. |