SYDNEY — Lawyers for a man accused of carrying out a deadly shooting on Sydney’s Bondi Beach sought a court order on Monday to stop media naming his family, saying their safety was at risk.

Police allege 24-year-old Naveed Akram opened fire on a Jewish Hanukkah celebration on December 14, killing 15, in Australia’s worst mass shooting in decades.

His father, Sajid Akram, who police also accuse of carrying out the shooting, was shot dead by police at the scene.

Police say the men were inspired by the Islamic State terror group to carry out the attack using several high-powered weapons the elder man had legally acquired.

Lawyers for Naveed Akram on Monday requested a court in Sydney prohibit the publication of the names of his mother, brother, and sister, as well as their home address and places of work and schooling. Magistrate Greg Grogan extended an interim suppression order until next month, citing the 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 a terror offense. He is yet to enter a plea.

The case is expected to briefly return to court next week, before a longer hearing on April 8, where the prosecution will outline its brief of evidence.

The Bondi attack shocked a country with strict gun laws and fueled calls for tougher controls and stronger action against antisemitism. The government has already responded by tightening gun laws and introducing new legislation against hate speech.

Australia last month launched a government-backed inquiry into antisemitism and social cohesion in the country, which is expected to report its findings by December this year. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had initially resisted calls to set up a Royal Commission, saying the process would take years, which attracted criticism from Jewish groups and victims’ families.

Australia’s 120,000-strong Jewish community has long complained that Albanese hasn’t done enough to protect them from rising antisemitism following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza, and that his critical position on Israel has emboldened pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel activists to target Jewish institutions.

Australia has seen successive marches and protests that have included antisemitic rhetoric, as well as attacks on synagogues, schools and homes. Instances included a firebomb attack on a synagogue, two nurses who threatened to kill Jewish patients at their hospital, and the law enforcement discovery of a trailer filled with explosives, said to have been intended to cause a mass-casualty event at a Sydney synagogue.

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Bondi Beach terror attack

antisemitism in Australia

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