The first hearing in the case of Navid Akram, the perpetrator of the Bondi Beach terrorist attack on December 14, 2025, was held in the Sydney City Court, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Akram, who was detained at the Long Bay Prison Hospital in Sydney after the attack, was later transferred to the maximum security prison in Goulburn, located 100 km northeast of Canberra.
The newspaper notes that Akram communicated during the hearing via video link for several minutes because “his lawyer did not inform the correctional facility staff that the hearing would be held without the presence of the accused“.
During the hearing, the 24-year-old man faced 59 charges, including 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist attack. After the hearing, the judge extended the non-disclosure period for victims and set deadlines for the defense to present evidence.
The defendant's next court hearing is scheduled for April 9. Akram's lawyer, Ben Archbold, said that “it is too early to discuss the defendant's allegations as the prosecution's evidence has not yet been presented to the defense“.