The family of a young Sydney man accused of planning a terrorist attack have demanded his immediate release from Goulburn's maximum security prison, claiming the charges against him are "political" and that they have been forbidden from visiting him.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Approximately a dozen relatives of Sulayman Khalid, 20, gathered at Central Local Court on Wednesday to protest against his continued detention on a charge of possessing documents "designed to facilitate an attack".
The 20-year-old was allegedly found in possession of several pages of notes which referred to an AFP building as a target and a plan to carry out guerilla warfare in the Blue Mountains.
Mr Khalid, who once appeared on the SBS show Insight, was one of the people arrested in a December counter-terrorism raid in Sydney.
During a brief mention of the matter in court, during which Mr Khalid appeared via audio visual link from the maximum security prison at Goulburn, his solicitor Zali Burrows said she intended to apply for the prosecution of her client to be permanently stayed.
After the hearing Mr Khalid's mother, Domenica Biscotto, made an impassioned defence of her son while flanked by members of his extended family, some of whom were carrying banners declaring "Justice for Sulayman"."We are asking for the remainder of the prosecution brief of evidence to be served so that we can proceed with the application," Ms Burrows said.
"The Commonwealth have the resources to get these items together."
"My son Sulayman is innocent and he is innocent until proven guilty," Ms Biscotto said.
"There are murderers, much worse people, who are out on bail but my son isn't out on bail. He's sitting in Supermax prison – high security – being treated in an inhumane way and we have not [been allowed to see him]."
Ms Biscotto said the notes that allegedly belonged to her son belonged to someone else.
"Those notes are not in his writing, they're just scribblings," she said.
"This is purely political."
"Stop blaming people based on their faith. I was born in this country – I'm an Australian citizen. My son is innocent and he should be released today."
Ms Biscotto said that, after her son's arrest, NSW Police deputy commissioner Catherine Burn had asked her for a closed door meeting and that she had refused.
The mother of six said the deputy commissioner had requested the meeting through a member of a local Muslim community organisation. Ms Biscotto had been too upset to attend and now wonders why such a meeting was requested.
But a police spokesman said Deputy Commissioner Burn had never requested a meeting with Ms Biscotto.
"Conversely, a meeting was requested by the Muslim Women's Association, who were providing assistance to a distressed community member," the spokesman said, in an apparent reference to Ms Biscotto.
"That meeting did not transpire due to the unavailability of the community member. "
Mr Khalid's father, Abu Salem, broke down as he described seeing his son for the first time when he appeared via audio visual link from jail.
"I couldn't control my emotions actually – I had tears in my eyes."
Mr Khalid is due to return to court in April.
