Moutia Elzahed, wife of a terrorist recruiter, ordered to pay $250k in failed bid to sue cops

MOUTIA Elzahed — the wife of a terrorist recruiter Hamdi Alqudsi — who continually refused to stand for a Sydney judge has been ordered to pay $250,000 after her failed bid to sue the police.

THE wife of a terrorist recruiter who continually refused to stand for a Sydney judge has been ordered to pay about $250,000 after her failed bid to sue police.

Moutia Elzahed and her family have 28 days to come up with $158,706 for the State of NSW and $95,000 for the Commonwealth, to pay legal costs.

Moutia Elzahed refused to stand up in court during past proceedings.

Ms Elzahed’s husband Hamdi Alqudsi is in jail for recruiting men to fight in the Syrian civil war for terror groups.

She took the two agencies to court, claiming they punched her in the head and assaulted her family during a 2014 counter-terrorism raid on their Revesby home.

Elzahed was told she had 28 days to come up with $250,000 to help pay NSW Police and AFP legal fees.

But her case failed in December when District Court Judge Audrey Balla ruled Ms Elzahed had “no cause of action” against police and dismissed her claims.

Ms Elzahed’s husband Hamdi Alqudsi is serving an eight-year jail term for recruiting young men to fight in the Syrian civil war for terror groups including forerunners of Islamic State.

Her hard line Islamic beliefs landed Ms Elzahed in hot water with both Judge Balla and former State Attorney-General Gabrielle Upton during her trial.

“I noticed on Wednesday and I see again today that the first plaintiff does not stand when I enter or leave the bench,” Judge Bella asked at an early hearing.

Ms Elzahed’s lawyer Clive Evatt explained: “She won’t stand for anyone except Allah, which I’m not particularly happy with, Your Honour.”

Ms Upton wrote to NSW Solicitor-General Michael Sexton to recommend Ms Elzahed be charged for not standing and she became the first person charged under disrespectful behaviour laws introduced in September.