A man accused of carrying out the deadly Bondi Beach terror attack targeting Australia’s Jewish community lost a bid on Thursday to prevent media from reporting the identities of ​his family.

Naveed Akram, 24, opened fire along with his father, Sajid, on a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s ‌Bondi Beach last December, killing 15 people. Sajid was killed during a confrontation with police during the shooting. The attack was inspired by the Islamic State terror group, according to police.

Akram was charged in February with terrorism, 15 counts of murder, dozens of counts of causing wounds to a person with the intent to kill, and planting explosives.

The attack sparked national soul-searching about antisemitism, anger over the failure to shield Jewish Australians from harm, and promises to stiffen gun laws.

Among the victims of December’s attack were an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor, a couple who confronted one of the gunmen, and a 10-year-old girl, Matilda, who was described at her funeral as a “ray of sunshine.”

In March, Akram’s lawyer Richard Wilson told the court his family fears for their safety after a spate of alleged vigilante attacks.

Akram sought a 40-year-long gag order preventing the publication of the names or photos of his mother, ​brother and sister, as well as their home address and places of work ​and schooling, due to fears for their safety.

His bid was opposed by ⁠several Australian media groups, who said the proposed order prevented proper reporting on the ​case, which has attracted huge public interest in Australia and globally.

Judge Hugh Donnelly sided with the media, saying the principle of open justice was fundamental to the trial, and that suppression orders “should only be made in exceptional circumstances.”

“This case has caused unprecedented public interest, anger, outrage and ​grief,” he said.

Akram’s driving license showing his home address had been widely circulated online, ​while his mother gave an interview to a local newspaper hours after the shooting, the ‌court ⁠heard.

Given that social media platforms and overseas publications would be exempt from any order, prohibiting publication only in Australia where the courts have jurisdiction, would be largely ineffective, Donnelly added.

“This case is exceptional by virtue of the sheer magnitude and intensity of commentary on social media,” ​he said.

Appearing via video ​link from the ⁠maximum security prison where he is currently being held, Akram waved at the camera as he sat down to watch the hearing. ​He spoke only to confirm he could hear proceedings.

After conferring with ​his legal ⁠team, Wilson told the court he did not plan to appeal the decision.

Australia has launched ​a government-backed inquiry into antisemitism and social cohesion, with findings due by December. The government has already strengthened gun laws ​and introduced new hate speech legislation.

Police and intelligence agencies are facing difficult questions about whether they could have acted earlier.

Akram was flagged by Australia’s intelligence agency in 2019, but he slipped off the radar after it decided that he posed no imminent threat.

Police documents released following the terror attack said the two had carried out “firearms training” in what was believed to be the New South Wales countryside prior to the shooting.

They said the suspects “meticulously planned” the massacre for months, releasing pictures showing them firing shotguns and moving in what they described as a “tactical manner.”

The pair also recorded a video in October railing against “Zionists” while sitting in front of a flag of the Islamic State jihadist group and detailing their motivations for the attack, police said.

And they made a nighttime reconnaissance trip to Bondi Beach just days before the killings, documents showed.

And a few weeks before the Bondi Beach attack, the pair returned to Sydney from a four-week trip to the southern Philippines.

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Bondi Beach terror attack

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