Pro-Palestine activist Mohammad Sharab pleads guilty to assaulting Avi Yemini and Rukshan Fernando
Mohammad Sharab assaulted a right-wing commentator and a videographer in separate incidents during protests in Melbourne.
High-profile pro-Palestinian activist Mohammad Sharab has pleaded guilty to assaulting right-wing commentator Avi Yemini and controversial videographer Rukshan Fernando in separate incidents while protesting in Melbourne’s CBD.
Mr Sharab, 37, who is in custody after having his bail revoked on unrelated kidnapping charges, appeared via video link before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
The court heard Mr Sharab assaulted Mr Fernando outside the Melbourne Town Hall on the night of February 20 this year while councillors were meeting to vote on a motion to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Mr Fernando, who is known for his controversial live-streaming of Melbourne’s anti-lockdown protests during the Covid-19 pandemic, was recording the pro-Palestine demonstration taking place outside.
The prosecutor told the court protesters appeared to take issue with Mr Fernando recording due to the notion he was “affiliated with pro-Israel media”, although Mr Fernando said he was recording in his capacity “as an independent journalist”.
Police told Mr Fernando to move to the other side of Swanston St where he was approached by Mr Sharab, who forcibly bumped into his chest which knocked him half a metre.
Mr Fernando did not lose his footing and was not injured.
The prosecutor told the court Mr Sharab said in a police interview that he assaulted Mr Fernando because he believed he was “a biased reporter and paints Palestinians in a negative light”.
Mr Sharab’s lawyer, Brett Barratt, from James Dowsley & Associates, confirmed his client maintained that explanation.
In a later incident on April 29, while protesting on the steps of Victorian Parliament, Mr Sharab assaulted right-wing media figure Avi Yemini, telling him “I’m going to f..king get you, I’m going to f..king get you”.
The prosecutor told the court Mr Sharab touched his forehead to Mr Yemini and said, “you came my way, you think you’re going to get away with it”.
Mr Barratt asked that Magistrate Brett Sonnet take into account the fact that it was Mr Yemini who approached his client, as well as the “emotional context” in which Mr Sharab lost “his cool”, being that he had “recently received news about a number of family members that had been killed in Gaza”.
Mr Barratt said Mr Sharab had overall lost 70 people known to him, including 40 family members, due to the Israel-Hamas war.
“I understand but he is taking part in a protest outside Parliament House at a time (when) his emotions are heightened,” Magistrate Sonnet said.
“There have been many persons who have been directly and indirectly affected by the Israeli-Hamas war.”
Magistrate Sonnet said he would give “some leniency” due to Mr Sharab’s family situation, and ordered Mr Sharab to undertake two years of good behaviour without conviction.
“It’s not my role to pass any judgment or comment on the Israel-Hamas conflict, other than to say in Australia, whilst there is a right to protest, that right does not extend to the commission of any criminal offence,” Magistrate Sonnet said.
Mr Sharab will return to court in October alongside his co-accused Laura Allam and a 24-year-old man, whose identity is protected by a suppression order, on unrelated charges over their alleged involvement in the abduction and assault of a man in Melbourne’s western suburbs in February this year.
The trio were granted bail following their arrests over the alleged kidnapping, however Mr Sharab’s bail was revoked on July 22 after it was revealed that he had breached the conditions, including by contacting the unnamed co-accused, through his father, at pro-Palestine protests.
His further application for bail was refused in August.
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