Dropping of Harun Causevic terrorism charge 'will erode confidence in police'
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Version 0 of 1. The dropping of terrorism charges against 18-year-old Harun Causevic, who spent more than four months in a maximum security prison, will erode public confidence in the police, politicians and intelligence agencies, the man’s lawyer has said. “I think there’s something to be said now that those charges have been dropped, in circumstances where there was never any real evidence against him,” Rob Stary told reporters after his client was released on bail by Melbourne’s county court on Tuesday. “He ought to be recompensed and the family ought to be recompensed for what they’ve been subjected to. This episode, I’m afraid, is going to erode confidence in the authorities, when they charge a young man on this basis without any evidence. “It’s not going to instil confidence in those intelligence and policing agencies.” Stary accused politicians of “grandstanding” following much-publicised early-morning raids on 18 April, when Causevic and four others were arrested for their alleged involvement in an Anzac Day terrorism plot in Melbourne. Three of the men, including Causevic, were subsequently charged. The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions said it dropped the terrorism charge against Causevic following an independent assessment of all available evidence admissible to the court. There was insufficient evidence to prosecute Causevic for the alleged offences, the director found. Stary said his client would plead guilty to the three remaining weapons possession charges. During the April raid of Causevic’s home, police allegedly found two black folding knives with the marking “AK47” in his bedroom, and one black knuckleduster in his vehicle. Related: Victoria police defend force used during terrorist raids despite claims of injury Families of those arrested during the raids said at the time one teenager was kicked in the face by police, while another man said his arm was broken. Victoria police defended their use of force. Causevic was initially held in isolation without charge under a preventive detention order, before police charged him almost three days later over his alleged involvement in the plot, and with possession of weapons. He was then moved to the maximum security Metropolitan remand centre, which houses some of the state’s most serious offenders, including murderers and rapists. Riots broke out at the prison in June ahead of a smoking ban being introduced, which meant family visits to detainees were stopped while repairs took place, and support programs, such as counselling, were also cut back, the court heard on Tuesday. On Tuesday Causevic was ordered by magistrate Jelena Popovic not to leave the country and to undergo counselling, which will be delivered in conjunction with the Islamic Council of Victoria. Causevic did not have a passport, the court heard, and would next appear before the court in December. Popovic told the court she favoured behavioural change programs for young offenders where possible, as opposed to incarceration. The president of the Islamic Council of Victoria, Ghaith Krayem, provided a reference to the court, describing a post-conviction program, named Muslim Connect, which the council runs in conjunction with Victoria police and which would be offered to Causevic while he was on bail. “The current post-conviction program specifically addresses religious ideology through one-on-one interventions with suitable qualified sheikhs employed by [the council],” Krayem wrote. “We do not discount the seriousness of the charges that bring Mr Causevic before the court, or the issues of risk that the court rightly has to consider, [however] we would respectfully submit that a young person such as Mr Causevic is an appropriate candidate to be considered for such an arrangement.” Causevic did not comment as he left court accompanied by his father Vehid, his face covered by his shoulder-length hair which had been tied up while he was in the court room. He walked quickly past reporters, his head bowed. Popovic briefly interrupted Causevic’s case on Tuesday morning for a scheduled video-link appearance from Sevdet Besim, 18, who was arrested during the same raids and still faces terrorism-related charges. He was remanded in custody to next appear before the court on 16 December for a two-day committal hearing. Mehran Azami, 19, was charged in April with weapons possession, with police alleging he intended to supply weapons to Causevic and Besim. Before Tuesday’s hearing the Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, said police had to make “very tough calls”. “Some people will support them, some people won’t, but I support them because they’re doing everything they can to keep all of us safe,’ he said. “We face an unprecedented threat and it’s being taken seriously by all of our law enforcement agencies.” In a statement, the Australian Federal Police said it would “rather the risk of a prosecution failing than the risk of members of the community being hurt or killed through no overt action”. “The AFP and Victoria police have repeatedly said that the counter-terrorism environment dictates that police will always act in the interest of ensuring community safety,” it said. |