Melbourne man accused of spreading Islamic State material granted bail

In short:

A man accused of being an online propagandist for the Islamic State terror group has been granted bail due to his health issues. 

Mohamed Bakit was arrested by counterterrorism police last month at his Carlton home.

A Melbourne court has heard he suffered a stroke in recent years and also has a significant neurological disability.

A Melbourne man accused of spreading extremist material for the Islamic State terror group has been granted bail, with a magistrate citing his significant health issues.

Mohamed Bakit, 65, was arrested by counterterrorism police at his Carlton home on September 23.

He has been in custody since he was charged with multiple offences including using a carriage service to transmit violent extremist material, possessing violent extremist material and being a member of a terrorist organisation.

He appeared via video link at a hearing on Thursday in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court.

Deputy Chief Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge granted bail, saying Mr Bakit suffered significant health issues including the effects of a stroke in 2023 and a permanent and significant neurological disability.

He said the accused received support and care at home seven days a week and was at risk of "adverse health" outcomes in custody.

"[Prison] simply cannot provide the same levels of support or care without hospitalisation," Magistrate Lethbridge said.

The magistrate said any risks could be ameliorated with strict bail conditions, including that Mr Bakit reside only at his apartment in Carlton, report regularly to police and surrender any passports.

He was also barred from leaving the state.

At a previous hearing, the court heard Mr Bakit was a member of a WhatsApp group chat which was initially used to discuss religion but soon became a space to access and distribute extremist material.

While giving evidence, police informant Katherine Dillon described Mr Bakit as an "influential participant" in the group and the "most active" member, sending close to 10,000 messages.

Those messages allegedly included images, audio files, videos of beheadings and suicide bombings and propaganda documentation as well as other extremist material promoting or glorifying the terrorist group.

"His communication demonstrates strong support to Islamic State," Ms Dillon said.

"The distribution of these materials shows active participation in the propagation of Islamic State."

Defence lawyer Michael McGrath previously argued that if the recipients of the material did not find it offensive, then no crime had been committed.

"The intention of the [legislation] is to stop the material from being distributed to people who don't want to receive it," Mr McGrath said.