Australian authorities charged a third suspect Friday in connection with an arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue that federal officials say was directed by Iran's Revolutionary Guard, marking a significant development in a case that has raised urgent questions about foreign interference and national security on Australian soil.
The 20-year-old man was one of three masked offenders who broke into the Adass Israel Synagogue, doused the interior with flammable liquid and set it alight in the early hours of Dec. 6, 2024, according to a police statement. The fire caused extensive damage to the synagogue and a worshipper sustained minor injuries.
Foreign Direction and National Security
The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team, which brings together federal and state police with a spy agency, charged the man, who has not been named, with offenses including arson. He was charged in a Melbourne jail where he was already being held in custody on unrelated offenses. Police declined to elaborate on those offenses.
His co-accused Giovanni Laulu, 21, was arrested in July last year and another suspect, Younes Ali Younes, 20, was arrested a month later. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last year accused Iran's Revolutionary Guard of directing the synagogue fire and an arson attack two months earlier at a Sydney kosher eatery, Lewis' Continental Kitchen.
Mike Burgess, director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the nation's main domestic spy agency, said the Revolutionary Guard used a "complex web of proxies to hide its involvement" in both antisemitic attacks. Iran's ambassador to Australia and another three Iranian diplomats were expelled, and Tehran has denied Australia's allegations.
International Investigation Continues
Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Peter Crozier said investigators were working with international partners in the continuing investigation. Police were also investigating whether the three alleged arsonists knew who ordered the attack. Crozier said, "They may not actually be aware of the people who are directing or the principals of these investigations. That remains a key line of inquiry for us."
The revelation that the suspects may have been unwitting proxies for a foreign power underscores the sophisticated nature of the threat and the challenges law enforcement faces in protecting Australian sovereignty from hostile state actors operating through intermediaries.
Community Impact and Law Enforcement Response
Victoria Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Paul O'Halloran said police had informed the local Jewish community of the third arrest before the news was made public. O'Halloran said, "Our heart goes out to them. Again, this brings back this terrible incident," and added, "People deserve the right to feel safe and be safe in their community and particularly at their place of worship. Today's charges are a strong testament to this."
The latest suspect will make his first court appearance on the new charges next week. The Australian government has established a public inquiry to investigate a rise in antisemitism across the country, including the killing of 15 people when two gunmen opened fire on a Sydney Hanukkah celebration in December.
Why This Matters:
This case represents a direct challenge to Australian sovereignty and the rule of law, with a foreign authoritarian regime allegedly using local proxies to conduct violent attacks on Australian soil. The charges demonstrate the critical importance of robust counter-terrorism capabilities and international intelligence cooperation in protecting citizens from state-sponsored violence. The establishment of a public inquiry into rising antisemitism reflects the government's recognition that religious communities require protection from both domestic extremism and foreign interference. The expulsion of Iranian diplomats sends a necessary message about the consequences of hostile state action, while the ongoing investigation into whether the alleged perpetrators understood their foreign direction raises questions about recruitment methods and the vulnerability of individuals to manipulation by hostile powers. For Australia's Jewish community and all faith communities, the outcome of these prosecutions will be a test of whether the justice system can effectively deter and punish attacks that threaten the fundamental right to worship safely.