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Monday, April 24, 2006
Australia tries suspected terrorist under new laws
Lisl Brunner at 10:47 AM ET

[JURIST] Australian prosecutors on Monday accused a Pakistani-born Australian immigrant of planning to bomb one of two targets in Sydney in one of the first cases to be tried under the country's new Anti-Terrorism Act [text] which was passed [JURIST report] in December 2005. Faheem Khalid Lodhi, who immigrated to Australia [JURIST news archive] in 1996, has pleaded not guilty to four charges and is being tried by a jury at the New South Wales Supreme Court [official website]. Prosecutors stated that an October 2003 search of Lodhi's home produced a terrorist manual that indicated the defendant's plans to bomb either an electrical supply system or defense installations in Sydney.

Jack Roche, an Australian who converted to Islam, was the first Australian to be convicted under a version of the new laws, which some have criticized as too harsh [JURIST report]. Lodhi's defense will begin its case on Wednesday, and the trial is expected to last up to eight weeks.

AAP has local coverage.
Reuters has more.