- Sarah Mouhanna, 19, to fight flag waving charge
- Charged with public display of prohibited terrorist symbol
- Mouhanna is out on bail after not-guilty plea
- READ MORE:
A 19-year-old woman accused of displaying the Hezbollah flag at a pro-Palestine protest in Sydney will contest the allegations in court.
Sarah Mouhanna was charged with causing a public display of a prohibited terrorist organisation symbol following a protest in the Sydney city centre on September 29.
The 19-year-old appeared at Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday, when her lawyer entered a not-guilty plea on her behalf.
Mouhanna remains on bail on the charge brought by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.
Her lawyer Hisham Karnib declined to disclose on what grounds he would be defending the charge when questioned by media outside court.
‘The matter is defended at this stage – and it will remain defended,’ he said.
Mouhana was excused from appearing when her matter returns to court on December 11.
The late-September protest was much larger than regular, weekly pro-Palestinian rallies following the expansion of conflict into the Hezbollah stronghold of southern Lebanon.
Sarah Mouhanna, 19, was charged with causing a public display of a prohibited terrorist organisation symbol following a protest in the Sydney city centre
Mouhanna appeared at Downing Centre Local Court, when her lawyer entered a not-guilty plea on her behalf (pictured)
A rally a week later, a day before the one-year anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, swelled to a still-larger crowd in Sydney, estimated at 10,000 people.
It followed a police bid to stop the event proceeding based on public safety concerns.
Screens warned protest attendees that displaying the Hezbollah flag, symbols or portraits of the group’s recently killed leader, Hassan Nasrallah, might be considered a criminal offence.
Several people were seen wearing and displaying green and yellow, the colours of Hezbollah’s official ensign.
Hezbollah and Hamas are proscribed terrorist organisations in Australia.
Hezbollah and Hamas are proscribed terrorist organisations in Australia (pictured, Hezbollah flag seen during Pro-Palestine rally for Gaza and Lebanon in Melbourne)
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese issued a warning at the time to anyone thinking about taking a flag for either group to a protest.
‘They are symbols of terror,’ he said.
‘They are illegal, and they will not be tolerated here.’
Some 1200 people were killed and another 250 abducted when Hamas attacked Israel.
More than 42,000 have been killed in subsequent Israeli strikes in Gaza, according to Palestinian officials.
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk