‘Glaring Error’ in Sydney Terror Case Evidence, Says Defense
teleSUR | November 13, 2014
On Thursday, the lawyer of a Sydney man accused of plotting a terror attack said a phone call at the heart of the case was mistranslated.
“There are inaccuracies in the translation … there is apparently one glaring error, which goes to the absolute crux of whether this man is acquiescing to be involved in a terrorist act,” the accused man’s barrister, Winston Terracini QC stated, according to The Australian newspaper.
Police have alleged that the accused, Omarjan Azari conspired to carry out the attack with accused Islamic State group sympathizer, Mohammad Baryalei.
The prosecution told the court they are still analyzing other evidence, but Terracini claimed police have little else against Azara.
“It seems in fact there was only one phone call, despite previous claims there are others,” he said, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Azari, was arrested in September, during a raid touted by law enforcement as the largest counter-terrorism raid of its kind in Australia’s history.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott stated the raids were made in response to a “serious risk” that the Islamic State group was planning to behead random members of the public in Sydney.
At the time, local media carried images of police seizing a sword from one home, with the Daily Mail printing the headline, “Was this the lethal sword terror cell planned to use to behead an innocent victim on a Sydney street?”
According to the sword’s owner Mustafa Dirani, the answer is no. Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald in October, Dirani said the sword is a common Shiite household ornament, and it’s made of plastic.
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