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Rumours are swirling around Sydney and across social media about the siege underway in a central Sydney cafe. Here’s what we do and don’t know.
A young female hostage flees the cafe. Picture: Getty Images..
What we do know
- An armed offender has been holding an unknown number of hostages inside the Lindt Chocolat Cafe in Martin Place since about 9.45am on Monday.
- New South Wales police know the identity of the hostage-taker, and he is known to police.
- Police have been in direct contact with the hostage-taker, and are conducting negotiations.
- A number of hostages have been seen with their hands pressed up against the glass of the cafe windows.
- Five people have fled the cafe since the siege began, but it is not clear if they escaped or were freed.
- So far there are no known injuries to hostages; “I understand no-one has been injured, and we are grateful,” Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said.
- The hostage-taker is “claiming political motivation”, according to Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
- The hostage-taker wants to be associated with Islam, as a black flag with an Islamic creed written on it in Arabic has been displayed in the windows.
- The flag is not the one used by Islamic State.
- The hostage-taker has been described as middle-aged with a beard, and wearing a headband.
- Martin Place, the Sydney Opera House, the State Library and all CBD court houses have been evacuated.
- The National Security Committee of Cabinet has convened twice; Mr Abbott described the incident as “deeply concerning” and offered NSW all assistance possible.
- NSW Health has confirmed that one of the hostages to emerge from the Lindt cafe siege is being treated in hospital. The man has been taken to St Vincent’s Hospital where he is described as being in a satisfactory and stable condition.
- Hostages have contacted a number of media outlets, including the ABC, during the day. Police have asked the media not to reveal the contents of the calls.
- Airspace over Sydney’s CBD was not shut down, despite reports to the contrary.
- People who have information about the situation should call the National Security Hotline on 1800 123 400.
- People who want further information about the situation should call the Public Information Inquiry Centre on 1800 227 228.
What we don’t know
- Precisely how many hostages remain in the cafe. A Lindt Australia executive said about 10 staff and up to 30 customers were inside, but police said the total number was not more than 30. A Seven journalist who said he had a view into the cafe said he saw about 15 hostages.
- The details of the motivation or aims of the hostage-taker, except Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s statement that he is “claiming political motivation”.
- Whether the incident is related to terrorism – although NSW Police are “operating according to our counter-terrorism protocols”.
- Exactly what weapons or explosives the hostage-taker may have access to.
- Whether those people who left the building escaped or were set free.
Top Comments
If there is a silver lining to this, it is that the world has seen in the fleeing hostages just how multicultural we are ...
This is the information on the man who has taken hostages in Sydney.
He was a refugee that was considered too moderate in Iran.
He has been a religious activist in Australia and has committed many crimes here.
His name is Haron, he was born Manteghi Bourjerdi in Iran where, as an ayatollah, his liberal interpretation of Islam led to the detention of his wife and children.
Bourjerdi fled Iran to Australia in 1996 as a refugee, and changed his name to Man Haron Monis, assuming the title of Sheikh Haron
Haron is notable for the campaign undertaken by him and his colleague, Amirah Droudis, protesting the presence of Australian troops in Afghanistan, which takes the form of letters sent to the families of fallen soldiers in which he denigrates the soldiers as murderers, and urged the soldiers' families to petition the government to remove its troops from Afghanistan.
The letters were sent to the families of deceased Soldiers.
The letters compared " the (deceased soldier) son to a pig and to a dirty animal. It calls the son's body "contaminated". It refers to it as "the dirty body of a pig". It describes Hitler as not inferior to the son in moral merit."
Haron was arrested on charges of "using a postal or similar service to menace, harass or cause offence".
On 10 November 2009 Haron appeared in court and claimed through his lawyers to be a peace activist. He later chained himself to the courthouse in protest over the charges.
Haron was subsequently barred by the courts from expanding his protest to include letters to UK soldiers' families.
In December 2011, Haron appeared before the Court of Criminal Appeal in Sydney arguing that the charges against him were invalid because they infringed on his implied constitutional freedom of political communication, but the three-judge panel unanimously dismissed his case.
Upon further appeal to the High Court of Australia, the six-judge panel split 3-3 over the issue.
Although the High Court of Australia normally comprises seven judges, one seat was vacant and as yet unfilled at the time Haron's case appeared before the court. Failing to achieve a majority vote in Haron's favour, the lower court's unanimous decision was left to stand.
On 15 November 2013, Haron was charged by NSW Police with being an accessory before and after the fact to the murder of Noleen Hayson Pal, allegedly stabbed and set alight in a Werrington apartment stairwell on 21 April 2013. His partner Amirah Droudis, was formally charged with Pal's murder.
Pal was Haron's ex-wife.
On 12 December 2013, Haron and Amirah were given bail at Penrith Local Court. Magistrate Darryl Pearce said there was significant flaws in the Crown's case against the pair. "It is a weak case'" he said.
Prosecutor Brian Royce said Monis' claims the Iranian Secret Police and ASIO were trying to frame him for the murder was fanciful. Magistrate Pearce said all theories needed to be examined.
On 22 January 2014, Haron told magistrate Joan Baptie that he was representing himself and proceeded to talk about documents ASIO has on him that he wanted to see. He told the court he has been charged in connection to the murder of his ex-wife because ASIO is conspiring against him to have him jailed. But Magistrate Baptie told him she cannot order ASIO to release documents about him. Haron stood outside the Parramatta Local Court wearing chains and holding a sign claiming he has been tortured in jail. He said: "This is not a criminal case. This is a political case."
On 14 March 2014, Haron was arrested and charged with sexually and indecently assaulting a young woman who went to his consultancy in Wentworthville, New South Wales, for "spiritual healing", after seeing an advertisement in a local newspaper. Haron claimed he was an expert in "astrology, numerology, meditation and black magic" services. "
And still walking around free he acquired a weapon and has now taken hostages. I fear for the young women in his captivity tonight.
Abbot openly lied in his weak speech. he knew exactly who it was and what he wanted.