IS-linked court appearances turn to farce in Sydney
The Sydney court appearance of two men accused of funding Islamic State turned to farce on Friday when one refused to show his face and the other's lawyers failed to show up.
The accused both appeared by video link from Goulburn's Supermax jail.
Omarjan Azari was arrested in the largest counter terrorism raids in Australian history in September 2014.
He was allegedly recorded in a phone call with notorious Islamic State recruiter Mohammed Ali Baryalei planning random beheadings in Sydney.
"That precipitated the premature launching of a raid across Sydney and Brisbane with more than 800 officers that wouldn't have been done if they had any choice," said Professor Greg Barton from Deakin University.
Azari was due to appear on Friday on separate charges of funding a terror group but his lawyers failed to show up at the Downing Centre.
His co-accused Ali al-Talebi was arrested at his Beecroft home in the same raids.
Al-Talebi is accused of helping to supply $15,000 to Islamic State to help fund Australians travelling to join them in Syria and Iraq.
Appearing via video link from Goulburn's Supermax jail, al-Talebi appeared agitated, rubbing his nose and burying his face in his hands.
Judge Robyn Tupman asked him: "Is there some reason you have got for covering your face all the time?"
Al-Talebi replied: "I'm just waiting".
"Since you are on (AVL) video link perhaps you can let me see you?" the judge asked, but Al-Talebi defied the request and kept his face covered.
Outside the court, his lawyer Heidi Kickenbosch-Fitt said she did not want to make any comment on the matter.
Azari and Al-Talebi have previously been denied bail and Azari is classified as 'extreme high risk' and likely to recruit others to do extremist, terrorist acts.
"We're dealing with a global network that gets at young kids and persuades them to do the most crazy things, we saw that with Farhad Jabar in Parramatta in October," said Prof. Barton.
Both Azari and Al-Talebi are due back in court next month.
