Bondi Beach attacker faces 19 new charges, bringing total to an unprecedented 78 charges
The new charges come as authorities sift through 230,000 CCTV images and digital evidence linked to the deadly Hanukkah attack.
Australian federal prosecutors on Wednesday filed 19 additional charges against Navid Akram, the 24-year-old man accused of carrying out the deadly Bondi Beach attack last December that killed 15 people attending a Hanukkah celebration.
Akram had previously faced 59 charges, including 15 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder, and one count of committing a terrorist act. Following the latest filing in Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court, the total number of charges against him has risen to 78.
According to court documents, the new charges relate to the violence that unfolded during the attack and include 10 counts of discharging a firearm with intent to kill, three counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to kill, and six counts of firing a weapon to resist arrest.
The court also imposed a temporary suppression order preventing the publication of the identities of some victims named in the new charges, citing privacy concerns.
During Wednesday's hearing, prosecutors revealed that investigators believe the attack carried out by Akram and his father was directly inspired by the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist organization.
Federal prosecutors told Deputy Chief Magistrate Michael Antrum that the case's extraordinary complexity requires additional time to compile evidence, requesting that proceedings be delayed until August.
Investigators from the Joint Counter Terrorism Teams (JCTT) are currently reviewing approximately 230,000 CCTV images collected during the investigation. Authorities are also examining data extracted from numerous digital devices belonging to the suspects and other individuals allegedly linked to the attack. Prosecutors said some of the material requires extensive translation.
The antisemitic attack took place on December 14, 2025, during a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney's Bondi Beach.
According to authorities, two armed assailants, Navid Akram and his father, Sajid Akram, 50, opened fire on attendees. Sajid Akram was shot and killed by police officers responding to the scene. Navid Akram sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen during the confrontation, was hospitalized under police guard, and was subsequently arrested.
After recovering from his injuries, Akram was transferred to Goulburn Supermax prison, Australia's highest-security correctional facility, which houses convicted terrorists and other high-risk inmates.
Outside the courthouse, Akram's attorney, Leoni Gitani, said her client had been aware that additional charges could be filed as the investigation progressed.
"In a case of this magnitude, it is not unusual for further charges to be laid," Gitani told reporters.
Addressing the vast amount of evidence involved in the case, she described it as "an unprecedented volume" and acknowledged that the defense team faces a significant task in reviewing the material.
Gitani said Akram has not yet entered a plea, explaining that the defense cannot formally admit or deny the allegations until it has received and reviewed the complete evidence brief.
Alongside the criminal proceedings, Australia's Royal Commission of Inquiry into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion is continuing its examination of the intelligence and security failures that may have contributed to the attack. The commission is expected to deliver its recommendations ahead of the first anniversary of the massacre.
Akram remains in custody at Goulburn Supermax prison and is scheduled to return to court for his next hearing on August 12.