IMPORTANT: The terrorist bleep did NOT have a gun licence. http://t.co/jutVLC4BPmThe Sydney café gunman had been the subject of an extradition request from Iran, used to be on a national security watchlist – and yet still held a legitimate Australian gun licence, it has been revealed.
Man Haron Monis, a 50-year-old self-styled “cleric”, took 17 people hostage for 16 hours on Monday before the siege was broken in a blaze of gunfire. Two hostages died, along with Monis himself.
Monis grew up in Iran as Mohammad Hassan Manteghi. According to Iranian police, he established a travel agency in 1996 but defrauded his clients and fled with their money to Australia via Malaysia.
Officials told the country's official IRNA news agency that Iran tried to have Monis extradited in 2000, but that Australia refused on the grounds that the countries do not have an extradition agreement.
Tony Abbott, the Australian Prime Minister, also revealed on Wednesday that Monis had been flagged up on the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation's watchlist in 2008 and 2009 over a series of offensive letters he sent to the families of dead Australian soldiers.
“I don't know why he dropped off the watch list in those days, I really don't,” he told reporters.
Read more:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/sydney-cafe-gunman-man-haron-monis-dropped-off-watchlist-and-australia-refused-irans-request-to-extradite-him-tony-abbott-says-9930073.html
