Australian counterterrorism police have charged a Melbourne man accused of playing a significant role in distributing propaganda for the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organisation. Mohamed Bakit was arrested on Wednesday during a Joint Counter Terrorism Team raid at a home in Carlton, following an investigation into his alleged online activities that police say had been monitored for several years. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) said the investigation began in November 2020 after Australian Border Force officers allegedly discovered suspicious material on Bakit’s mobile phone while exami

Australian counterterrorism police have charged a Melbourne man accused of playing a significant role in distributing propaganda for the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organisation. Mohamed Bakit was arrested on Wednesday during a Joint Counter Terrorism Team raid at a home in Carlton, following an investigation into his alleged online activities that police say had been monitored for several years. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) said the investigation began in November 2020 after Australian Border Force officers allegedly discovered suspicious material on Bakit’s mobile phone while examining his luggage at Melbourne Airport before a planned trip to Egypt. A further search warrant was executed in 2024, during which additional electronic devices were seized. According to police, forensic analysis of the devices allegedly showed that Bakit had pledged allegiance to IS and acted as an online propagandist for the group. Police allege that he distributed approximately 10,000 files containing violent extremist material and IS propaganda between November 2015 and July 2020. The material allegedly included graphic depictions of executions and torture, content intended to encourage radicalisation, and information relating to mass-casualty attacks. AFP Acting Assistant Commissioner Paula Hudson said the volume of material allegedly distributed placed Bakit among the group's principal distributors of propaganda. “Terrorist propaganda is not harmless online content,” Hudson said, adding that terrorist organisations such as IS use online platforms to spread propaganda and recruit supporters. Bakit, an Australian citizen, has been charged with one count of membership of a terrorist organisation, three counts of using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence, and one count of possessing or controlling violent extremist material. The offences carry maximum penalties of up to 10 years in prison. Bakit appeared briefly in court on Wednesday. His lawyer, Stephanie McLennan, said he denies the charges and intends to apply for bail. McLennan also told the court that it was Bakit's first time in custody and that he had previously suffered a stroke, was diabetic and was taking medication for blood pressure and cholesterol. Police said Bakit has not been linked to any specific terrorist attack and that there is currently no threat to the wider community. However, Assistant Commissioner Hudson said investigators would continue working with international partners and would not rule out further arrests as they investigate Bakit's alleged associates. The allegations against Bakit have not been tested in court.

The man was arrested during a counterterrorism raid at his home in Carlton, Melbourne, on Wednesday.

A little more informed. A little more connected.