Self-described Nazi becomes first person jailed in Australia for performing banned salute
Melbourne: Jacob Hersant, a self-proclaimed Nazi, became the first person in Australia to be sentenced to prison for performing an outlawed salute.
As per the news agency AP, the 25-year-old made the salute outside the Victoria County Court on 27 October 2023, days after Victorian laws banning the gesture came into effect. The Australian far-right extremist walked out of a Melbourne court on bail on Friday after being sentenced to one month in jail.
Before the sentence was handed down, Hersant’s defence lawyer, Timothy Smartt, said his client’s “non-violent act” did not “justify sending a 25-year-old to prison”.
However, Magistrate Brett Sonnet stated that said a prison sentence was appropriate. “If there was physical violence, then I would have imposed a sentence close to the maximum penalty,” Sonnet remarked.
“The accused sought to promote Nazi ideology in the public arena and the court is satisfied he took advantage of the media to disseminate extreme political views. Hersant was a member of the National Socialist Network, an organisation that promoted white supremacy, deportation of immigrants and far-right actors,” Sonnet said, as mentioned by AP.
He noted that Hersant uttering “Australia for the white man” after he performed the salute sought to promote white supremacy in the country.
“Put bluntly, the white man is not superior to any other race of people,” Sonnet asserted.
On his way into court on Friday, Hersant maintained that he had the right to express his political views. He told reporters that their argument would be that the law is emotionally driven, constitutionally invalid, and anti-white.
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Odisha: 5 police personnel killed, 4 others injured in SUV-truck collision
Bhubaneswar (PTI): At least five police personnel were killed and four others were injured in a head-on collision between an SUV and a truck on National Highway 49 in Odisha's Jharsuguda district early on Sunday, police said.
The accident took place near Odisha Adarsh Vidyalaya in Jharsuguda Sadar police station area when eight personnel were returning from a wedding in Jharsuguda, while the truck was moving in the opposite direction, a senior police officer said.
"Five police personnel from Jharsuguda district were killed in the accident while two were seriously injured and are undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Bargarh. Another injured policeman is in stable condition," Jharsuguda Additional Superintendent of Police Madhusikta Mishra said.
The truck driver has also been injured in the accident and he is undergoing treatment, she said.
"A case has been registered and further investigation is underway," Mishra said.
The truck turned to its side after the collision and the police vehicle was completely damaged in the accident, she added.
