The two brothers of Ahmed al-Ahmad, the Syrian immigrant who took control of one of the terrorists who carried out the Hanukkah massacre on Sydney's Bondi Beach, are accused of trying to blackmail him.
According to a report on the Ynet website, the two threatened him that if he did not hand over $200,000 of the donations collected for him from the general public, they would also break his other hand, the one that was not broken in the confrontation with the terrorists.
Ahmed gained worldwide fame following the attack on Bondi Beach in which terrorists Sajid and Naveed Akram, a father and son influenced by ISIS, opened fire on hundreds of Jews celebrating at a party organized by a Chabad house on the beach. The massacre killed 15 people, including two Chabad emissaries, and injured about 40.
In the midst of the shooting, Al-Ahmad was filmed leaping at Father Sajid, wrestling him with his bare hands and neutralizing him. Al-Ahmad was seriously injured, and a fundraising campaign for him raised $2.6 million.
Today, his brothers Sameh and Hafiza were brought to court and officially charged with attempting to blackmail him.
According to the indictment, on May 7, about two weeks ago, Hofiza called Ahmed and told him: "If you are a man, come here. I will put your head under my shoe, break your other hand and smash your face. We will only leave you if you give us $100,000 each. If you want peace of mind and security, give us the money.".
Ahmed's lawyer ordered him to report the two to the police, and a few days later they were arrested. They were later released on bail, and today in court they announced that they had pleaded not guilty.
