Police member accused of antisemitic comments
Matilda was the youngest of the 15 people killed by Sajid and Naveed Akram in the Bondi Beach terror attack.
“And ever since the events in Bondi, there have been continuing broadcasts of Matilda, the 10-year-old girl killed in Bondi, saying ‘f— you’ and ‘f— Israel,'” Kahler said.
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He said there will likely be more charges.
“He appears to have shown no insight into this disturbing incident… he chalks it up to freedom of speech, but it is not freedom of speech, it is completely offensive and inappropriate.”
Kahler opposed Nukic’s bail application.
Emma Kearney, who represents Nukic, said her client could be released on bail with conditions including social media restrictions.
He said none of the comments were intended to harm anyone.
“In summary, the alleged crime is that my client is a person with pro-Palestinian views,” he said, adding that he had no criminal history.
Kearney said it’s a difficult line to walk in an environment of political unrest and active war, where there will inevitably be people supporting both sides. He said most of the comments did not reach the threshold.
Kearney said Nukic emigrated to Australia in 1993.
“He is an Australian citizen. Before that, he lived in Bosnia, where he was born. He was held in a Serbian concentration camp there before moving to Australia.”
The maximum penalty for the crime is three years, Kearney said.
On Nukic’s online profiles, his bio reads “Anti-Zionist” and indicates that he has worked as a senior security officer since 2001.
Judge Lewis Shillito granted Nukic bail with conditions including social media restrictions and reporting to police.
“There is a consistency in the underlying theme of what he describes as anti-Zionist, going beyond that, and being generally anti-Israeli and supportive of designated terrorist organizations, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and Ansar Allah,” Shillito said.
“Each of these, in my view, demonstrates that any pro-Palestinian ideology that might support the defendant’s comment is completely outshone by the nature of the comments and the actions his comments are said to support, noting that there were comments responding to posts about the recent Bondi attacks, including repeated and recent acts of violence against individuals, including Australians.”
Nukic’s family supported him as they waited in front of the court for his release. Nukic and his supporter, who concealed his identity, did not respond to pending media questions.
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