Accused Bondi terror attack perpetrator makes 1st court appearance

Sydney, Feb 16 (IANS) Accused Bondi Beach terror attack perpetrator Naveed Akram made his first appearance in a Sydney court on Monday after being charged with 59 offenses over the fatal mass shooting.

Akram appeared on Monday morning via videolink from a supermax prison where he has been held since being discharged from the hospital in the wake of the attack on December 14, 2025, Xinhua news agency reported.

The 24-year-old was charged with 59 offenses, including 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act, in relation to the attack.

Authorities allege that Akram and his father Sajid, who was shot dead by police at the scene of the attack, opened fire on a Jewish celebration at the iconic eastern Sydney beach using rifles and shotguns, killing 15 people and injuring dozens more.

Court documents made public in December 2025 revealed that police found evidence that the two attackers had conducted firearms training at a rural property before the attack.

Local media reported that Akram was mostly silent during Monday's administrative hearing and only spoke when directly addressed by the presiding Magistrate.

Speaking outside the court, his lawyer Ben Archbold said that it was too early to say what plea his client would enter.

The case will return to court in April.

The perpetrators of the terror attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach in December demonstrated high levels of awareness to hide their plans, Australia's intelligence chief said earlier on Wednesday.

Mike Burgess, director-general of security of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO), told a Senate hearing that law enforcement and intelligence agencies did not know that the perpetrators of the Bondi attack were planning anything prior to the fatal mass shooting on December 14.

"It appears the alleged terrorists demonstrated a high level of security awareness to hide their plot. In simple terms, they went dark to stay off the radar," he said.

Fifteen people were killed in the attack, which targeted an event celebrating the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, making it Australia's most deadly mass shooting since 1996.