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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/dec/21/sydney-man-charged-over-allegedly-travelling-to-war-zone-delays-bail-application
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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Sydney man charged over allegedly travelling to war zone delays bail application | Sydney man charged over allegedly travelling to war zone delays bail application |
| (30 days later) | |
| Belal Betka charged with incursion into foreign countries with the intention of engaging in hostile activities | |
| Australian Associated Press | |
| Thu 21 Dec 2017 01.40 GMT | |
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| A young Sydney father charged with terror offences for allegedly travelling to a war zone in the Middle East has delayed his bail application until the new year. | A young Sydney father charged with terror offences for allegedly travelling to a war zone in the Middle East has delayed his bail application until the new year. |
| Belal Betka, 25, was arrested on Tuesday morning at Mount Lewis, in Sydney’s southwest, where he lives with his mother. | Belal Betka, 25, was arrested on Tuesday morning at Mount Lewis, in Sydney’s southwest, where he lives with his mother. |
| He has been charged with incursion into foreign countries with the intention of engaging in hostile activities and entering and remaining in a declared area. He is the first Australian-based person to be charged with the incursion offence, according to police, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. | He has been charged with incursion into foreign countries with the intention of engaging in hostile activities and entering and remaining in a declared area. He is the first Australian-based person to be charged with the incursion offence, according to police, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. |
| Police allege he travelled to the Raqqa province of Syria between March and July 2015. At the time, the region had been declared by the federal government as a province where a listed terror organisation was engaging in hostile activity. | Police allege he travelled to the Raqqa province of Syria between March and July 2015. At the time, the region had been declared by the federal government as a province where a listed terror organisation was engaging in hostile activity. |
| Betka was to appear via video link before magistrate Theo Tsavdaridis at Parramatta local court on Thursday for a bail application. However, his lawyer indicated the application would not go ahead and instead sought a date for the brief of evidence to be served. | Betka was to appear via video link before magistrate Theo Tsavdaridis at Parramatta local court on Thursday for a bail application. However, his lawyer indicated the application would not go ahead and instead sought a date for the brief of evidence to be served. |
| At his first court appearance at Bankstown local court on Wednesday, it was revealed Betka’s legal team was waiting for a response from a government agency following “a request for information that may assist our case”. | At his first court appearance at Bankstown local court on Wednesday, it was revealed Betka’s legal team was waiting for a response from a government agency following “a request for information that may assist our case”. |
| Tsavdaridis adjourned the matter until 13 February and ordered the brief be handed to the defence team by 1 February. | Tsavdaridis adjourned the matter until 13 February and ordered the brief be handed to the defence team by 1 February. |
| Betka is further accused of dealing in the proceeds of crime, relating to property worth over $1m, in October. | Betka is further accused of dealing in the proceeds of crime, relating to property worth over $1m, in October. |
| The government’s declaration relating to Raqqa was lifted last month. | The government’s declaration relating to Raqqa was lifted last month. |
| Crime - Australia | |
| Sydney | |
| Syria | |
| Middle East and North Africa | |
| news | |
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