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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T''gana govt accorded top priority to Muslim welfare, development : CM Reddy
Hyderabad (PTI): Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Sunday said the Congress government has accorded top priority to the welfare and development of the Muslim community in the state.
Speaking at the 'Iftar' event hosted by the state government here, he observed that Ramzan is the holy month of spiritual purification.
"We must foster brotherhood and live together in communal harmony," Reddy said while cautioning that some political forces are attempting to create communal tension by dividing people in the country.
"This government is yours. I am your brother. All must stand unitedly to take Telangana and the country forward. Your prayers are very important for the government. Some people try to create divisions amongst us and we should not fall into it," he said.
He highlighted substantial allocation of funds to the Muslim minorities in every government initiative.
Telangana ministers including Mohammad Azharuddin, AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi were among those who were present on the occasion.
