In a major development in an antisemitic terror investigation, Australian law enforcement announced Friday that a third suspect has been charged in connection with a devastating late 2024 arson attack on a prominent Melbourne synagogue, an attack Australian authorities allege was orchestrated by Iran.
According to official statements from the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team — a specialized unit combining resources from federal police, state law enforcement, and Australia’s primary domestic intelligence service — the 20-year-old suspect is accused of being one of three masked assailants who forced their way into the Adass Israel Synagogue in the early hours of December 6, 2024. The offenders allegedly doused the interior of the sacred space with flammable liquid before igniting the blaze, which left the building with widespread structural and interior damage. One worshipper who was at the site suffered minor physical injuries during the incident.
The newly charged suspect was already in custody at a Melbourne correctional facility facing unrelated, undisclosed charges, and police have not released his name to the public. He joins two previously arrested co-accused: 21-year-old Giovanni Laulu, taken into custody in July 2024, and 20-year-old Younes Ali Younes, who was arrested one month later. He is scheduled to make his first court appearance on the new arson and terrorism-related charges next week.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese publicly accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of directing not just this synagogue attack, but a second arson that targeted a kosher restaurant, Lewis’ Continental Kitchen, in Sydney two months prior to the synagogue incident. Mike Burgess, director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), confirmed that the IRGC leveraged an intricate network of proxies to conceal its direct role in both antisemitic attacks, which have shaken Australia’s Jewish community.
In response to these allegations, the Australian government expelled Iran’s ambassador to Canberra and three additional Iranian diplomatic staff. The Iranian government has repeatedly and vehemently denied any involvement in the attacks.
Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Peter Crozier told reporters Friday that the investigation remains active, with investigators collaborating closely with international partner agencies to unpack the full scope of the plot. A key ongoing line of inquiry, Crozier noted, is determining whether the three accused arsonists knew the identities of the individuals who ordered the attack. “They may not actually be aware of the people who are directing or the principals of these operations. That remains a key line of inquiry for us,” Crozier said.
Victoria Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Paul O’Halloran added that authorities prioritized notifying the local Jewish community of the third arrest before making the news public, to avoid causing unnecessary surprise or alarm. “Our heart goes out to them. Again, this brings back this terrible incident,” O’Halloran said. “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 arrest comes as Australia confronts a documented rise in antisemitic violence across the country. In response to the growing threat, the federal government has launched a public inquiry to examine the surge in hate crimes, which includes a deadly December shooting at a Sydney Hanukkah celebration that left 15 people dead.