Would-be terrorist appears in Brisbane court for sentencing
A Queensland man who pleaded guilty to two terrorism charges has appeared in Brisbane’s Supreme Court for sentencing.
The court has set aside two days to hear submissions.
During Monday’s hearing, Agim Kruezi, 25, from Logan appeared before Justice Roslyn Atkinson, wearing a white shirt and blue jacket and had a brief exchange with his mother, who sat in the public gallery along with a number of supporters.
Kriezi pleaded guilty to preparing for incursion into a foreign state, and preparing or planning for a terrorist act.
The Australian Federal Police raided an Islamic bookstore in Logan where they were conducting an anti-terrorism investigation. Kruezi has been behind bars since his arrest in September 2014, alongside co-accused Omar Succarieh.
Succarieh pleaded guilty to four foreign incursion offences in 2016 and was sentenced to a minimum of three years in prison.
Kruezi, who was described in court as a Muslim, and Australian-born citizen of Albanian descent, worked at the iQraa Islamic Centre in Underwood.
As the sentencing hearing got underway, Kruezi’s defence team said it was “unreasonable” that he had no access to anything to write with during the court proceedings, but his request for a pen or pencil was denied on the basis there could be “some reasons for that”.
During the sentencing hearing, the prosecution also told the court Kruezi believed it was his duty to his religion to involve himself in the Syrian conflict.
The court also heard that Kruezi tried to obtain 10 litres of petrol for explosive Molotov cocktails.
The sentencing hearing continues.