Convicted terrorist Abdul Nacer Benbrika will remain under supervision for an additional seven months after a judge determined he presents an ongoing risk to community safety. The decision was made by Justice James Elliott in the Victorian Supreme Court, following a request from the federal attorney-general’s office.
Benbrika, who was sentenced for his involvement in a 2005 plot targeting the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) during the AFL grand final, is considered a serious potential threat. The judge ruled that it was necessary to impose a range of therapeutic conditions to ensure public safety, including mandatory psychological and psychiatric treatment, as well as participation in a deradicalisation program.
This supervision order is set to expire on November 28, with the attorney-general’s office required to decide by September 28 whether to seek an extension. Benbrika participated in the court proceedings via video link but missed the initial ruling due to joining the hearing late. The full details of the judge’s decision have not yet been disclosed and will be released at a later date.
The ruling followed a five-day hearing, during which much of the evidence was kept confidential due to its sensitive nature. Benbrika, now in his 60s, has a history of terrorism-related offences, having been sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2009 for directing a terrorist organisation. After his original sentence lapsed in November 2020, a three-year detention order was imposed, preventing his release until December 2023.
Subsequent month-to-month supervision orders have been enacted since December 2024, reinforcing that he remains under strict oversight until this latest decision regarding his future supervision.