Summary

Hanifi Halis, Samed Eriklioglu, and Ertunc Eriklioglu were each sentenced to 10 years for conspiracy to prepare a terrorist act involving a firearm attack on members of the public. The three men met through MyCentre Multicultural Youth Centre in Melbourne's northern suburbs and became radicalized through "street dawah"—traveling to central Melbourne to engage members of the public about their religion. The judgment provides court documentation of the street dawah methodology used for radicalization.

The conspiracy was triggered by the 9 November 2018 Bourke Street terrorist attack. Hassan Khalif Shire Ali killed one person and seriously injured two others. After watching news of the attack, Ertunc Eriklioglu told the others "Shaheed shaheed bro... subhanallah bro, that's amazing" and "We do something yeah?... let's do something."

The three then moved to purchase a firearm from an undercover officer. Called off the purchase days before their arrest on 20 November 2018.

Key Facts

The three offenders met through MyCentre Multicultural Youth Centre in Melbourne's northern suburbs. Justice O'Connell found: "Each had been brought up as 'mainstream' Muslims but had become interested in learning more about their religion." The Court documented that "Through the youth centre, they practiced what was called 'street dawah', where they would travel into central Melbourne and attempt to engage with ordinary members of the public about their religion."

Court documentation of the street dawah recruitment and radicalization methodology.

The judgment recorded: "Over time, they were exposed to sermons, lectures and videos, primarily through the internet, which portrayed the conflict in the Middle East, particularly in Syria, as oppressive and unjust to Muslims. Exposure to that kind of material radicalised the offenders such that they became believers in the righteousness of violent jihad in that they had an obligation to wage violence against the perceived enemies of Islam."

The material they consumed included extensive Islamic State propaganda, publications by Abdullah Azzam and Anwar al-Awlaki, and various ISIS manuals including "How to Survive in the West."

The Court noted: "Over time, the offenders stopped attending mainstream mosques, preferring to keep to themselves and pray together in a prayer room set up in Ertunc Eriklioglu's garage." Isolation from mainstream religious practice accompanied their increasing radicalization. They discussed accessing extremist material through Telegram. Ertunc Eriklioglu suggesting they could access "good books" about jihad—"full on stuff"—through the encrypted platform.

All three offenders had their passports cancelled when they attempted to travel overseas. This shifted their focus from foreign fighting to domestic terrorism.

Hanifi Halis attempted to travel to Morocco from Melbourne Airport on 3 January 2018. Samed Eriklioglu attempted to travel to Turkey on 8 March 2018, claiming he was "looking for wife." Ertunc Eriklioglu received an ASIO visit in October 2018 after which his passport was cancelled.

The Court found these cancellations prompted the shift to planning domestic attacks.

On 12 April 2018, six months before the Bourke Street attack catalyzed their conspiracy, Ertunc Eriklioglu and Hanifi Halis discussed ways to leave Australia. The Court recorded that "Hanifi Halis said he had 'been thinking of different tactics. Musa tried to go.'" The judgment explained: "(This was a reference to the convicted Melbourne terrorist Musa Cerantonio and his plan to travel to the Philippines by boat with five others to engage in a foreign incursion)."

The Melbourne network knew about Cerantonio's Philippines boat plot. They considered similar escape routes.

The trigger for the conspiracy was the 9 November 2018 Bourke Street attack. After Hassan Khalif Shire Ali's attack, Ertunc Eriklioglu stated: "pretty sure he was trying to stab the police. Shaheed shaheed bro... subhanallah bro, that's amazing." Then: "We do something yeah? Yeah [indistinct] let's do something."

The judgment found: "On 9 November 2018, a terrorist act was committed in central Melbourne in which one person was killed and two others seriously injured. The commission of that act focused the offenders' attention on domestic terrorism."

On 12 November 2018, three days after the Bourke Street attack, the offenders had a farewell dinner with an undercover officer (identified as CO 309) and discussed firearms training. On 17 November 2018, they agreed to purchase a .22 calibre semi-automatic rifle from the undercover officer for $1,800. Paid a $450 deposit. The purpose was training for an attack on members of the public.

On 19 November 2018, they called off the purchase. One stated "there's four hundred people the AFP's watching."

Arrested the following day. 20 November 2018.

Sentence

Justice O'Connell sentenced each of the three offenders to 10 years imprisonment with a non-parole period of 7 years and 6 months. Hanifi Halis was 21 years old at the time of the offending (born September 1997). Samed Eriklioglu was 26 (born September 1992). Ertunc Eriklioglu was 30 (born January 1988).

The sentences reflected the objective seriousness of planning a firearms attack on the public. They took concrete steps including paying a deposit for a weapon. The conspiracy was triggered by and intended to emulate the Bourke Street attack.

The Court noted their radicalization through street dawah and consumption of extremist material, their isolation from mainstream Islamic practice, and their shift from foreign fighter aspirations to domestic terrorism after their passports were cancelled.

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