ISIS hopeful moved to ‘solitary’: court

A man who made videos lighting fires and pledging himself to Islamic State has been placed in isolation in prison after authorities alleged he was radicalising other inmates.

Aran Sherani, 22, was found guilty of doing acts in preparation for a terrorist attack at trial late last year. Prior to the trial he pleaded guilty to a charge of being a member of a terrorist organisation.

Sherani returned before the Victorian Supreme Court on Tuesday for a presentence hearing, where he took the stand to tell Justice Amanda Fox he no longer adhered to Islamic State ideology.

“I distance myself from them completely. I oppose them philosophically and in every way,” he said.

Sherani said he had been drawn in due to his ongoing interest in the plight of Kurdish people in the Middle East, believing the terrorist group would lead to their liberation.

He said while in prison he had a chance to reflect, speak with other Muslims, and devote himself to Islamic scripture, leading him to reject the movement.

The court was told clinical psychologist Guy Coffey, who had spoken for Sherani for more than 10 hours, had opined his “path from extremism to his current conservative path of Islam has been entirely self-directed”.

But Sherani told the court he was removed from the general population in late 2023, amid concerns from prison authorities he had been “recruiting or radicalising people”.

Sherani denied this, and told the court he had asked who had alleged he was radicalising but did not receive an answer.

“It’s hard, it’s lonely. I’m someone who likes to socialise with people; to have that taken away, it’s very damaging,” he said.

His barrister, Patrick Doyle SC, told the court there was no “actual evidence” of misbehaviour in prison.

Sherani’s case centred on two small bushfires lit on Melbourne’s outskirts in early 2021, with the then-18-year-old filming videos making threats and declaring allegiance to Islamic State.

When police attempted to arrest Sherani in March 2021, he fled the family home on foot before purchasing a knife from a supermarket.

Holding a knife, he made a video urging others to “do jihad, do jihad, spill the blood of disbelievers”.

He had planned to use the knife to threaten police, believing he would be shot, but “lost his nerve” and dumped it before his arrest, Crown prosecutor Justin Hannebery KC said.

“It would seem (the plan was) putting them in fear to the point it was justified by them using lethal force,” he said.

“To promote his martyrdom as an advertisement for a terrorist cause.”

The court was told Sherani had begun communicating with a member of Islamic State’s Amaq news agency – a propaganda outfit for the group.

Mr Doyle said his client had been urged to make the videos, but his “primary concern” was to be given permission to join Islamic State to fight for Kurdistan.

“It’s apparent from all the material this young man was angry, confused, desolate – absolutely lost by the time early 2021 rolls around,” he said.

“He was desperate enough to want to leave Australia to fight with this group.”

He told the court the video showed an element of “bravado and trying to convince himself”.

Sherani told the court that when he was released, he planned to study art.

“I plan to study, that’s something I always wanted to do. I plan to have a family at some point, just an ordinary life,” he said.

He was supported in court by his parents and brother, Ari Sherani, who was arrested alongside Aran and acquitted on a terrorism-related charge at trial.

Justice Fox will sentence Sherani at a later date.