WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014 Suspect in 6 Turkish coup trial draws concern over judiciary Pennsylvania killings target of manhunt Page 8 Page 9 SYDNEY: Young Muslim women lay flowers at a makeshift memorial near the scene of a fatal siege in the heart of Sydney’s financial district yesterday. (Inset) This April 18, 2011 file image shows Iranian-born perpetrator Man Haron Monis. —AFP Australian hostage-taker had violent past Monis had no known ties to terror groups SYDNEY: The self-styled sheikh behind a Those charges and the conviction, as well even call them,” Monis wrote. for Shiites. “Now I am a Muslim,” he added. said. “I know that left quite deep scars for siege at a Sydney cafe had been charged as as public statements Monis made on his web- Monis left predominantly Shiite Iran in the him,” he said. “If he had formed the view prior an accessory to murder and with multiple sex- site, have raised questions in Australian media Unsettled Loner late 1990s after coming into conflict with to this siege that he was going to inevitably ual offences. He also harboured deep griev- about whether authorities should have done Sydney-based criminal defence lawyer authorities there, said lawyer Manny go back to prison, whether he was guilty or ances against the Australian government and more to monitor him. Prime Minister Tony Adam Houda, who represented Monis over Conditsis, who represented him in the murder not ... I can see that might have unhinged had found little kinship in the city’s large Abbott told reporters that Monis was well the letters sent to the soldiers’ families, case. After receiving asylum in Australia in him.” Muslim community, where he was seen as known to police. When asked by a journalist described him as a deeply unsettled loner, 2001, Monis obsessed about exposing vio- Despite the warning signs, police must deeply troubled. Man Haron Monis, an Iranian whether it was appropriate for Monis to have wholly apart from Sydney’s tight-knit Muslim lence against Muslim civilians abroad, focus limited resources on groups attempting refugee described by those who knew him as been granted bail for the murder charge, New community. “He was a very, very, very unusual Conditsis told Reuters. His website showed to pull off major terrorist attacks, said Greg a loner, was killed early yesterday after heavily South Wales state Premier Mike Baird declined guy, and he had no affiliations with any graphic images of children that he says were Barton, director of the Global Terrorism armed police stormed the Lindt Chocolate to comment. group. He operated alone. He was a lone wolf,” killed by US-led coalition air strikes, as well as Research Centre at Monash University in Cafe to end a 16-hour hostage drama that Monis’ website, now taken down by Houda told Reuters. A source close to Sydney- media coverage following his court appear- Melbourne. Barton said there was only a tiny made global headlines. authorities, painted a picture of a man unrav- based Islamists, speaking on condition of ances and statements addressed to the category of people at any given time police Last year Monis was charged as an acces- elling, enraged by Australian courts and by anonymity, said Monis did not belong to any Muslim community and Abbott. can legally and financially justify keeping sory to the stabbing murder of his ex-wife, perceived injustices against Muslims in Iraq local radical group and that leading figures under surveillance. “On the triage priority list, who was set alight in a Sydney apartment and Afghanistan. “Man Haron Monis ... has held him in contempt. Deep Scars he would be well down that list,” he said. “I block. He was charged this year with more continuously been under attack & false accu- In December Monis seemed to suggest on He compared himself to Wikileaks founder don’t think it’s a case of a failure or a mistake. I than 40 counts of sexual or indecent assault sation by the Australian government & his website that he had switched from Shi’ite Julian Assange, saying he was being persecut- just think it’s a case of the harsh reality of deal- against women in Sydney, according to court media since he started his political letter to Sunni Islam, which would help explain ed for his political beliefs. “Since the ing with this kind of threat.” Abbott seemed to documents. He was also found guilty in 2012 campaign from 2007,” Monis wrote on the media reports that he had demanded police Australian government cannot tolerate confirm as much yesterday evening, when he of sending threatening letters to the families website. He also railed against what he said bring a flag from militant Sunni Islamist group Sheikh Haron’s activity, (it) is trying to damage told reporters that Monis had not been on any of eight Australian soldiers killed in was a decision by a court to prevent him Islamic State to the cafe. “I used to be a Rafidi, his image by these false accusations,” he watchlist. “Even if this individual had been Afghanistan and sentenced to two years in from seeing his children. “His children have but not anymore,” he wrote, using an Arabic wrote. While in prison Monis claims he was monitored 24 hours a day, it’s quite likely, cer- prison, although he served only a portion of been taken away from him by the Australian word that can be translated as “heretic” and is tortured, smeared with excrement and forced tainly possible, that this incident could have that penalty. government and he is not allowed to visit or sometimes used by Sunnis as an abusive term to sleep on a bare concrete floor, Conditsis taken place,” Abbott said. — Reuters Sea of flowers as Solidarity for Aussie Australia mourns Muslims after siege SYDNEY: Tearful Sydney office work- expressions of fear and dismay, and ers and Muslim women in hijabs laid pictures of the distinctive city har- SYDNEY: One of the bouquets left yesterday them. Some have succumbed and fled to Syria flowers yesterday at the scene of a bour and skyline emblazoned with in a sea of flowers at the site of the Sydney and Iraq while more than 70 others have had deadly siege, as an outpouring of the hashtag #prayforSydney. “I will siege read “I will ride with you.” It was as much their passports confiscated, sparking fears grief and shock gripped the usually ride with you”, read one note a wholehearted message to Australia’s Muslim over possible attacks on Australian soil, with IS easy-going harbour city. Nearby attached to a hand-picked bouquet community as to the incident’s victims. Those leaders calling online for public beheadings or florist kiosks struggled to keep up in Martin Place, referring to the words are the theme of a Twitter campaign of executions. After counter-terror raids in with demand as well-wishers created campaign for solidarity with the solidarity, offering to accompany any Muslims September, there was a backlash that saw sev- a sea of bouquets in an impromptu Muslim community that has seen who fear venturing onto public transport at eral mosques vandalised. Anxious to contain memorial at Martin Place, the city tens of thousands tweet the hash- this time, in case of a public backlash after any damage from Monday’s tragedy, more square where the 16-hour drama tag #illridewithyou. Flags on all gov- Monday’s deadly cafe siege by an Iranian-born than 40 Muslim groups quickly issued a state- unfolded. “Just the fact that some- ernment buildings were ordered to extremist. The campaign has raised hopes that ment decrying extremists “who seek to thing like this has never happened be flown at half mast. Australia, a nation forged by waves of immi- destroy the goodwill of the people of before in Australia, and it just makes “I don’t think I could be sadder,” gration down the decades, will be drawn Australia”. you feel so sad,” said Tom Harris, who New South Wales state Police together by the tragedy and not torn apart. The hostage-taker was widely identified as works on the Sydney Harbour Commissioner Andrew Scipione Mirella Rigo, overcome with emotion, a self-styled Islamic cleric called Man Haron Bridge, as he approached with a said as he looked at the floral trib- rushed through the crowd of people paying Monis. He had displayed an Arabic flag during large bouquet. “And I just feel so sad utes, where emotional onlookers their respects on Tuesday morning to the siege, and was killed along with two of his and just feel sorry for the poor peo- sobbed. “That’s the only thing we SYDNEY: Prime Minister Tony Abbott and his wife Margaret lay embrace a Muslim woman at a makeshift 17 hostages as police stormed the cafe early ple, especially at Christmas time.” can do to show our feelings,” said wreaths at a makeshift memorial near the scene of a fatal siege in the memorial near the Lindt cafe in downtown yesterday. Officials said he had no clear links Emotions were raw as Australia Zully Carro, with tears in her eyes heart of Sydney’s financial district yesterday. — AFP Sydney’s Martin Place. “It’s heartfelt,” she said. to Islamic State or other jihadist groups, but dealt with the news that the Lindt after placing flowers on the grow- and that’s... so upsetting. I feel we who had been going about their “I feel for these people. I think to make them was rather a mentally unstable man with chocolate cafe had been stormed in ing pile.