Alleged WhatsApp group of Islamic State supporters raised during bail application for alleged terror group member Mohamed Bakit

Alleged WhatsApp group of Islamic State supporters raised during bail application for alleged terror group member Mohamed Bakit Details of an alleged Australian ISIS support network have surfaced in a Melbourne court, as a 65-year-old man accused of sharing thousands of extremist files seeks bail. Mohamed Musse Bakit, 65, was arrested and charged by the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT) after allegedly distributing thousands of files of extremist material online.

Mr Bakit appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday where he is seeking to be released on bail to his home in Carlton. Police allege Mr Bakit was a pledged member of Islamic State between December 2018 and April 2020, and was the “most active contributor” to a WhatsApp group where he posted extremist material including propaganda, execution videos and content “glorifying” the terror organisation. During the hearing, Australian Federal Police detective senior constable Katharine Dillon said the WhatsApp group was alleged to have been created in 2014 by Queenslander Dr Omar Elamin and the “majority” of members were from Queensland.