Anti-lockdown protester Jemal Abazi has charges dropped

A Melbourne anti-lockdown protester — accused of inciting others to flout Covid restrictions — has become the third in a month to have their charges dropped.

Jemal Abazi was charged with incitement to breach Covid stay-at-home directives.

Another anti-lockdown ringleader accused of inciting others to protest amid Covid restrictions has had their charges dropped.

Jemal Abazi is the third protester in the past month to have had their charges withdrawn.

Mr Abazi was charged with incitement to breach Covid stay-at-home directives and associated breach of bail.

But the prosecution dropped the charges on Thursday without citing a reason.

Jemal Abazi has had his charges dropped.

“The withdrawal is a just of a continuance of long course contemptible conduct” Mr Abazi said.

“My community and I will not forget the vicious police tactics we experienced when we were going on our habitual evening walk in an entirely legal form of exercise.

“Soon afterwards, over 20 police monstered my wife and I in the exercise of a search warrant at the family home.

“All this for a few posts on Facebook.”

Mr Abazi’s lawyer, James Catlin, said the decision to drop charges was an “attempt to mute community anger”.

“It looks like a belated attempt to mute community anger about police tactics during the pandemic in the lead up to the election,” Mr Catlin said.

“A jury trial would have reminded people”.

Mr Abazi is seeking to recover the costs of fighting the charges for two years.

It comes after notorious anti-vaxxer Monica Smit had her charges withdrawn earlier this month.

Notorious anti-vaxxer Monica Smit had her charges withdrawn earlier this month. Picture: Mark Wilson

Ms Smit, 33, pleaded not guilty to two counts of incitement for allegedly encouraging people on social media to attend two anti-lockdown protests in Melbourne last year.

She was committed to stand trial but prosecutors filed a notice of discontinuance after deciding it was no longer in the “public interest” to continue with proceedings.

Ms Smit, who founded anti-vax group Reignite Democracy Australia, filmed her own arrest in September last year.

She spent 22 days in custody after refusing to comply with a series of bail conditions, which the Victorian Supreme Court later scrapped.

Police clash against anti-lockdown protesters in Melbourne CBD. Picture: Jason Edwards

Well known anti-vax protester Solihin Millin also had his charges dropped this month.

Mr Millin, 78, was charged with eight counts of inciting others to commit offences for his alleged role in organising a “Freedom Rally” at the Shrine of Remembrance in September 2020.

Prosecutors withdrew the charges, citing Mr Millin’s age, lack of prior convictions and the likely sentence upon a finding of guilt meant it was no longer in the public interest to continue prosecution.

The retired pensioner is the founder of anti-vax group ‘Make Australia Healthy Again’, posting online that Covid was “not a scientifically defined disease”.