The burqa-wearing second wife of a former Islamic State recruiter will appear in court next month for refusing to stand for a judge on nine separate occasions within a week.
Moutiaa El-Zahed has been charged with nine counts of disrespectful behaviour in court, the first person in New South Wales charged with the offence.
She is accused of failing to stand for a New South Wales District Court judge nine times on four different dates between November 28 and December 7 last year.
‘Moutiaa El-Zahed has today [Monday] been issued with Court Attendance Notices for nine counts of ‘disrespectful behaviour in court’,’ a spokesman for the Department of Justice said.
‘The case is listed in the Downing Centre Local Court on 15 June 2017.’
If Ms Elzahed is found guilty of disrespecting the court, she could face an $1100 fine or up to 14 days behind bars.
Ms Elzahed allegedly refused to stand for Judge Audrey Balla because her lawyer said she does not stand ‘for anyone except Allah’.
In a dramatic statement back in early February, Solicitor-General Michael Sexton SC announced he had given the nod for legal action to be taken against Ms Elzahed.
The New South Wales government created the offence on September 1 last year.
On December 6, Judge Balla warned Ms Elzahed’s barrister Clive Evatt that ‘each occasion she doesn’t do it’ - stand in court - may be a separate offence.
The judge demanded Mr Evatt explain why Ms Elzahed wouldn’t get up when she entered the court room.
‘She’s a Muslim, your honour, a strict Muslim and according to my instructions she won’t stand for anyone except Allah which I’m not particularly happy with, Your Honour,’ he said.
Ms Elzahed and the two sons she has with convicted Islamic State recruiter Hamdi Alqudsi lost a bid to sue police over claims of assault late last year.
Ms Elzahed’s husband is serving six years’ jail for helping young Australians travel to Syria.