Accused ISIS member Joseph Saadieh set to stand trial on terrorism charge
A young Muslim man from Western Sydney will stand trial over allegations he was recruited by the terrorism group ISIS.
Police & Courts
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A YOUNG Muslim man from Western Sydney has been committed to stand trial over allegations he is an international recruit for the terrorism group ISIS.
Joseph Saadieh fronted Parramatta Local Court on Friday where he maintained his plea of not guilty to a single count of being a member of a terrorist organisation.
The 24-year-old was shadowed by his father during the brief court proceedings – in line with a series of onerous conditions imposed on him when he was granted bail in the NSW Supreme Court late last year, which included that he not leave the Chester Hill home he shares with his parents unless to attend court or report to police on bail, and only then when being accompanied by his mother or father.
Prosecutors will allege police were monitoring Mr Saadieh’s online activity for almost three years before he was arrested by counter-terrorism investigations squad detectives in June last year and subsequently charged.
It will be alleged Mr Saadieh accessed ISIS-linked social media accounts and propaganda and communicated with several people online and on mobile phone apps about the terrorist organisation.
Mr Saadieh’s lawyers have previously claimed police had taken their client’s religion out of context and subjected it to hurtful misinterpretation.
Mr Saadieh is next scheduled to appear in Parramatta District Court on August 5.
Until then, he must continue to abide by more than 20 conditions designed to allow authorities to closely monitor and restrict his daily movements.
They include a blanket prohibition on having a mobile phone or accessing the internet and around-the-clock home detention broken up only by daily police reporting, court appearances and fortnightly appointments with doctors to engage in prescribed “re-radicalisation” treatment.
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