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98-625: Raids The Lindt Café siege was a terrorist attack that occurred on 15–16 December 2014 when a lone gunman, Man Haron Monis , held ten customers and eight employees of a Lindt Chocolate Café hostage in the APA Building in Martin Place , Sydney , Australia . The Sydney siege led to a 16-hour standoff, after which a gunshot was heard from inside and police officers from the Tactical Operations Unit (TOU) stormed

196-486: A Mercedes , convertible Peugeot and a Jeep . Monis was unable to be contacted after 8 pm, claiming he was busy with his "spiritual consultation" business. Morsy described him as "secretive", "very reserved" and "formal" and wanting to "fit in". He broke the relationship off after her family expressed reservations about his personality. In 2003, Monis married a woman who was a client of his "black magic" business. However, he always kept his blinds closed, and told people at

294-427: A "hero in his own story" describing him as "capable of narcissism and also capable of manipulation ." His ex-wife said that Monis had "intimidated, duped and emotionally manipulated her" and that around 2007 he "became more strict" and told her to wear a veil, and restricted her from "singing and dancing" allegedly telling her "I'm doing it for Islam ... I want to be a martyr". On 21 April 2013, Monis' ex-wife's body

392-461: A "spiritual healing" business, telling some women that they needed to submit to sexual molestation to receive treatment. In 2014, Monis was charged with being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife, as well as over 40 counts of sexual assault. At the time of his death, he had recently converted from Shia Islam to Sunni Islam , and attended Islamist rallies promoting conspiracy theories about Australian security agencies. While on bail, and facing

490-651: A Sydney mosque that he had a wife in Iran. In July 2011, Monis was charged at a St Mary's police station for intimidation of his ex-wife, following a confrontation in a McDonald's car park in Green Valley . His ex-wife claimed Monis had threatened to shoot her and told her that he held a gun licence. In 2010, the family of his girlfriend, Amirah Droudis, reported Monis to the National Security Hotline because they found his behaviour strange. He

588-523: A campaign protesting against the presence of Australian troops in Afghanistan , by writing letters to the families of soldiers killed there, in which he called the soldiers murderers, and urged the soldiers' families to petition the government to remove its troops from Afghanistan. According to Justice Dyson Heydon of the High Court, the letters compared "the (deceased soldier) son to a pig and to

686-526: A dirty animal. It calls the son's body 'contaminated'. It refers to it as 'the dirty body of a pig'. It describes Hitler as not inferior to the son in moral merit". Monis was arrested on charges of "using a postal or similar service to menace, harass or cause offence". Droudis received a 2-year good-behaviour bond for "assisting Monis in sending the letters". She appealed the sentence, but on 12 March 2015 Droudis dropped her appeal. On 10 November 2009, Monis appeared in court and claimed through his lawyers to be

784-512: A fake deliberately stirring up anti-Islamic sentiment ". On 28 January 2008, Australia's senior Shia leader and head of Supreme Islamic Shia Council of Australia , Kamal Mousselmani, told The Australian that Monis "was not a genuine Shia spiritual leader" and "there are no ayatollahs in Australia." He urged Federal government officials to investigate his identity. "From the way he writes his fatwas (or religious edicts), I don't think he

882-436: A fire exit at the side of the building. At around 4:58   pm, two female hostages, both employees, Jieun Bae and Elly Chen, escaped by running from another entrance of the building and were met by Tactical Operations Unit officers. Monis was unaware that Jieun Bae and Elly Chen had escaped. Jarrod Morton-Hoffman made noise to cover their exit and persuaded Monis that media reports of five hostages escaping were wrong. After

980-426: A grandiose act to be recognised as a figure of great infamy rather than wishing to hurt anyone. He doubted that Monis actually represented ISIS because he did not have the correct flag, nor that his actions were politically motivated. The psychiatrist warned that "a wounded narcissist is a dangerous specimen" as none of Monis's demands were met. Authorities did not release an estimate of the number of hostages inside

1078-411: A hostage. The Negotiation Unit leader did not think Monis would hurt anyone because Monis had told people inside the cafe that everyone would go home once Prime Minister Tony Abbott called. The team leader later conceded that Abbott was never going to call. An unnamed civilian Forensic Psychologist was the consultant for NSW Police. The psychiatrist gave forensic advice that Monis was probably undertaking

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1176-655: A letter to George Brandis ' office seeking advice on the legality of communicating with ISIS. Monis claimed to have converted from Shia Islam to Sunni Islam . An announcement on his now-suspended website, posted a week before the Sydney siege, stated: "I used to be a Rafidi , but not any more. Now I am a Muslim, Alhamdu Lillah ." " Rafidi ", which means "one who rejects" in Arabic, "is typically used by Sunnis to denigrate Shias as non-Muslim." Monis also used his website to pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi , leader of

1274-622: A likely lengthy imprisonment, he declared allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant . Monis was born in Borujerd , Iran on 19 May 1964. He published a book of poetry, Inside and Out or Daroon va Boroon ( Persian : درون و برون ), in 1996 in Iran. It did not sell well, which disappointed Monis. In the 1990s, Monis ran a company called Salehan-ë Amal ( Persian : صالحان عمل ), which he used to buy discounted tyres from

1372-544: A local newspaper. Seven months later, on 13 October 2014, a further 40 charges were added, including 22 counts of aggravated sexual assault and 14 counts of aggravated indecent assault, allegedly committed against six more women who had visited his business. Monis promoted himself as a peace activist , and told his lawyers that his hate-mail campaign was to make families of dead soldiers support peace. Commercial news media in Sydney often condemned Monis for making videos with his girlfriend narrating, expressing happiness about

1470-771: A member of the Muslim community, and asked her to help source an ISIS flag for Monis. Kay contacted many people in the Muslim community but ultimately the police sourced their own flag. However, the flag was never given to Monis. The following day, NSW and Federal Police raided three homes of people who had been contacted in the attempt to source the flag. Kay assumes that her conversations had been monitored. Kay said she would help police in another crisis, but "with this incident they have not built trust at all. You don't understand...the fear that [the AFP and ASIO] create, and how they stalk...members of our community..." Lawyer Zali Burrows questioned

1568-442: A peace activist. He later chained himself to the courthouse in protest over the charges. Monis was subsequently barred by the courts from expanding his protest to include letters to UK soldiers' families. In an inquest, lawyer Chris Murphy said that Monis claimed to be contacting families to recruit "people who had suffered loss in war" to join his cause. Murphy said "He didn't strike me as very intelligent." Monis chained himself to

1666-440: A pistol between March and June 1997. In November 2000, he chained himself to a pole at Parliament House, Sydney , and went on a one-day hunger strike to draw attention to his cause. He began to sexually assault women while passing himself off as a spiritual healer named 'Marcus' in the early 2000s. On 16 September 2002, Monis changed his name to Michael Hayson Mavros. While he was known as Mavros, he seemed to be 'embracing

1764-477: A presentation by Uthman Badar and Wassim Doureihi of Hizb ut-Tahrir which was held in response to an earlier Uthman Badar lecture titled 'Honour Killings are Morally Justified', which was cancelled. Monis attended Hizb ut-Tahrir rallies and was described by Sydney Morning Herald journalist Anne Davies as "a little unstable. He also seemed a little creepy. Ominously, he also told me he did not think giving speeches would be enough." In October 2014, Monis wrote

1862-522: A second negotiator, but did not tell him about the demand that the Christmas lights be turned off. Hostage Selina Win Pe told the second negotiator Monis wanted to know why it hadn't happened. It was later revealed an Ausgrid team had assembled to switch off the lights, but was sent home. A third negotiator later said that he did not have the Christmas lights turned off because he had to have reassurance that

1960-525: A secular life'. He gained Australian citizenship in 2004. On 21 September 2006, he changed his name to Man Haron Monis. Monis was investigated by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation four times, and there were more than 40 calls to ASIO's National Security Hotline . The family of his partner called the National Security Hotline in 2010 and were advised Monis "wasn't a threat". Monis had been on

2058-473: A shot towards the kitchen, and was heard on the police listening device reloading his shotgun. The hostage Fiona Ma then escaped through the front door, and two Tactical Operations Unit teams were ordered to move very slowly towards the two entrances. At 2:14   am, four minutes after the Tactical operations teams were ordered in, Monis shot Tori Johnson in the back of the head, killing him. The execution

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2156-452: A statement made by Rudd on changing immigration laws after Monis had been charged with seven counts of harassment. Before it was taken down, on 15 December 2014, Monis's Facebook account had 14,000 " likes ". Monis featured a photograph of Osama bin Laden on his website in 2008. It has been reported that Monis was radicalised by members of Hizb ut-Tahrir . In June 2014, Monis attended

2254-483: A travel agency in 1996, before fleeing to Malaysia and then Australia. "It lasted 4 years to collect evidence on Manteghi [Monis]'s identification documents and we reported this to the Australian police but since Australia has no extradition treaty with Iran, they didn't extradite him to Iran". He was protected from extradition by his refugee status. Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency states that he

2352-583: A white-and-black rāya . It further states that Muhammad had an ʿalam in white nicknamed "the Young Eagle" ( العقاب , al-ʿuqāb ); and a rāya in black, said to be made from his wife Aisha 's head-cloth. This larger flag was known as the Eagle. The hadith reports Muhammad said that the advent of the Mahdi would be signalled by Black Standards proceeding from Khorasan and that it will be

2450-516: Is Shia Muslim ", he added. In 2010 Monis was involuntarily hospitalised at Canterbury Hospital after displaying bizarre and erratic behaviour in a parking lot in Ashfield . A psychiatrist who assessed Monis said she believed he had chronic schizophrenia and needed to be on anti-psychotic medication. Monis stated that he had been forced to close his spiritual business, was $ 20,000 in debt, and had to change his name for "security reasons." Monis

2548-870: Is reported the Black Standard flew above the Bábí fortress until the end of the Battle of Fort Tabarsi . According to Denis MacEoin , the Bábís were on their mission of spreading Babism, "by preaching if possible, by force if necessary." As Arab nationalism developed in the early 20th century, the black within the Pan-Arab colors was chosen to represent the Abbasid dynastic color. The Ahmadiyya movement also employs black and white colours in its flag ( Liwaa-i Ahmadiyya ), first hoisted in 1939. Mirza Tahir Ahmad ,

2646-645: The Australian Communications and Media Authority , which were dismissed. Kevin Rudd publicised his consideration of changes to citizenship laws during the prosecution of Monis's letters. Monis used social media to attack politicians including then Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and former Prime Minister Rudd. His criticisms of Abbott, from 2013, related to Australia's military presence in Afghanistan. On 5 December 2014, he referred to

2744-463: The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation 's watch-list in 2008 and 2009, but was dropped off the list for reasons that were not specified. In 2009, in Granville, NSW , Monis gave a lecture calling for an Islamic society and taunting foreign governments saying, "your intelligence service is not working properly." Monis lived in a flat with a housemate for six months in 1998. Monis said he

2842-552: The Australian postal service . According to The Age , this conviction consumed him for several years, and the hostage incident followed three days after an unsuccessful attempt to have the conviction overturned. Monis had been granted conditional bail because the magistrate said "there were significant flaws in the Crown's case". Monis attempted to join the Rebels Motorcycle Club sometime in 2012 or 2013, and

2940-668: The Báb , the Bábí leader Mullá Husayn raised the Black Standard in Mashhad (in Iran's Khorasan Province ) and began a march westwards. The mission was most likely proclamatory but possibly also to rescue another Bábí leader, Quddús , who was under house arrest in Sárí. After being rebuffed at the town of Barfurush , the group took up making defensive fortifications at the Shrine of Shaykh Tabarsi . It

3038-649: The Holocaust and 9/11 and attacking rape victims. Monis hated Channel Seven for their coverage of the Muhamed Haneef affair, and ran aggressive protests outside their studios. He once rushed at television hosts Melissa Doyle and David Koch in Martin Place yelling, "You are a killer and a terrorist." Monis would often put on clerical garb and chain himself to a post visible from the Channel Seven live studio, handing out pamphlets declaring there

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3136-493: The Prime Minister of Australia , Tony Abbott , live on radio. Monis was described by Abbott as having indicated a "political motivation," but the eventual assessment was that the gunman was "a very unusual case—a rare mix of extremism, mental health problems and plain criminality." In the aftermath of the siege, Muslim groups issued a joint statement in which they condemned the incident, and memorial services were held in

3234-464: The ABC to broadcast that Australia was under attack after a Facebook post from one of the hostages was read out on radio 2GB. Monis had also demanded that the Christmas lights be turned off. The first negotiator thought that doing this would have provided an opportunity to bargain with Monis, but did not hear back from commanders as to whether it was possible so "discarded" the option. He was then relieved by

3332-567: The Australian Prime Minister live on radio, but this demand was rejected. This was relayed by hostage Marcia Mikhael, who said that she "lost it" when told that the Prime Minister was too busy, saying, "I don't care what [Abbott] is doing right now...I'm sure there's nothing more important happening in Australia...than the lives of the people in this café..." Mamdouh Habib said he knew Monis well and offered to help

3430-495: The CBD. Iranian-born Monis was identified as the hostage-taker and named early on the morning of 16 December. In September 2009, Monis was convicted for criminal use of the postal service to "menace, harass or cause offence", for a campaign protesting the presence of Australian troops in Afghanistan , by writing letters to the families of soldiers killed there, in which he called the soldiers murderers. On 12 December, three days before

3528-700: The Cahill Expressway, and all traffic was diverted to the Sydney Harbour Tunnel . On the morning of 16 December, road diversions remained in place and Martin Place train station remained closed. In the evening of 16 December, Elizabeth Street, Macquarie Street and Hunter Street were opened to traffic. Uber fares for travel in Sydney surged during the event under the company's dynamic pricing system, which led to criticism. Uber subsequently refunded excessive fares and provided free rides out of

3626-507: The Crown's case against the pair and that it was "a weak case". Prosecutor Brian Royce said Monis' claims that the Iranian Secret Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) were trying to frame him for the murder were fanciful. Magistrate Pierce said all theories needed to be examined. On 22 January 2014, Monis appeared at Parramatta Local Court and, after informing magistrate Joan Baptie that he

3724-527: The Grand Mufti of Australia, Ibrahim Abu Mohamed . All such offers were rejected by the police because they had no control over what the untrained negotiators might say or do. However, Mikhael said that after the request to speak to the Prime Minister was refused: "It was then that I knew that there was not going to be any negotiation and we were just left there. ...They were waiting for him to kill someone or shoot something so they [could] come in. ...There

3822-505: The Iranian government and re-sell them on the black market. He also ran a charity scam to avoid paying tax. In 2001, using the pseudonym Ayatollah Manteghi Boroujerdi, he claimed in an interview with ABC Radio National's The Religion Report that he had been involved with the Iranian ministry of intelligence and security , and that his criticism of the regime and secret information he possessed had resulted in his persecution as well as

3920-573: The Islamic State whose 'main enemies' are the Shi'a. Black Standard Arab armies in the 7th century were using standards to identify themselves on the field of battle. Among these standards, the rāya was a square banner; not to be confused with the liwāʾ or ʿalam , an identifying mark like a red turban. Islamic tradition states that the Quraysh had a black liwāʾ and

4018-631: The Mahdi's standard would be black and larger. Anti-Abbasid circles cursed "the black banners from the East", "first and last". A black flag was used by the Hotak dynasty in the early 18th century, following Mirwais Hotak 's Sunni rebellion against the Twelver Shi'i Safavid dynasty and later by the Emirate of Afghanistan under Abdur Rahman Khan (1880–1901). On 21 July 1848, under orders from

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4116-491: The NSW authorities did not label the event as a terrorist attack; However, as the siege continued, NSW Police authorised the engagement of the state's counter-terrorism task force, treating the incident as an act of terrorism. At around 3:37   pm, two hostages, John O'Brien and barrister Stefan Balafoutis, escaped from the front entrance of the building, followed by a third hostage, café employee Paolo Vassallo, who ran out from

4214-624: The NSWPF and the Attorney General twice during the raid, but they did not return his calls. Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione confirmed during the siege that "we're not dealing directly with him ... we do not have direct contact with the offender." Several hostages made contact with media outlets and relayed Monis' demands to them. At the request of the New South Wales Police Force , they were not published during

4312-480: The NSWPF negotiate with him. He believed that Monis was "sick and disturbed" over his failure to gain access to his children, and said Monis could trust him to get his message out. Lawyer Manny Conditsis had represented Monis and had also offered help because he said that Monis respected what he had to say to him. Barrister Michael Klooster who had met Monis in the cafe before the siege called the police at 2:17   pm. Other Muslim leaders also offered to help, including

4410-440: The automatic sliding glass doors of the café. Monis claimed there were four "devices" located around Sydney. Then New South Wales Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said that none of the alleged devices were found during searches. Monis also demanded that a hostage ask all media to broadcast that "this is an attack on Australia by the Islamic State". In addition, he demanded that an Islamic State flag be delivered to him, although

4508-539: The business to make unwelcome sexual advances toward vulnerable women, telling them that they could only receive treatment if they undressed and allowed him to massage their breasts and genitals. He also threatened to put curses on his victims if they refused. On 14 March 2014, Monis was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a young woman who went to his consultancy in Wentworthville, New South Wales , for "spiritual healing", after seeing an advertisement in

4606-422: The cafe. This plan was overruled by Task Force Pioneer commanders and Assistant Commissioner Mark Jenkins due to the danger to the hostages and police officers. TOU snipers could not fire due to "the narrow windows, the moving around of Monis, the risk to hostages if there was a missed shot, (and) the position of the snipers behind glass". At 11   am, Operational Commander Mick Fuller approved negotiations for

4704-402: The café during the siege. After the siege, a total of 18 hostages was confirmed—eight staff and ten customers of the café including lawyers and Westpac employees with offices close by. Initial estimates varied, with some significantly overestimating the number. Tori Johnson, the 34-year-old manager of the café, died after being shot in the head by Monis. Katrina Dawson, a 38-year-old barrister ,

4802-417: The café. Hostage Tori Johnson was killed by Monis and hostage Katrina Dawson was killed by a police bullet ricochet in the subsequent raid. Monis was also killed. Three other hostages and a police officer were injured by police gunfire during the raid. Police have been criticised over their handling of the siege for not taking proactive action earlier, for the deaths of hostages at the end of the siege, and for

4900-584: The case, "wearing chains and holding a sign claiming he has been tortured in custody". He was quoted as saying: "This is not a criminal case. This is a political case." Monis told individuals in Australia, including his lawyers, that he had worked for the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security and had knowledge about Iran's clandestine operations, and that it was for this reason he fled Iran. However, an Iranian embassy official stated Monis' claim to have worked in intelligence and security in Iran

4998-514: The city at the nearby St Mary's Cathedral and St James' Church . Condolence books were set up in other Lindt cafés and the community turned Martin Place into a "field of flowers." The Martin Place Lindt café was severely damaged during the police raid, closed afterwards, then renovated for reopening in March 2015. An anonymous call was made to Australia's anti-terrorism hotline 48 hours before

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5096-603: The colour of the Abbasid Revolution was already motivated by the "black standards out of Khorasan" tradition associated with the Mahdi . The contrast of white vs. black as the Fatimid vs. Abbasid dynastic colour over time developed in white as the colour of Shia Islam and black as the colour of Sunni Islam. After the revolution, Islamic apocalyptic circles admitted that the Abbasid banners would be black but asserted that

5194-464: The courthouse against the directions of lawyers, and Murphy said "He was entirely self absorbed with his performance ... my recollection is he held a pen in the air and said 'this is my sword'." Lawyers described Monis as a "pest" and a "dickhead". Manny Conditsis said that conversations with Monis were "draining and exhausting." Monis expressed conspiracy theories about ASIO, claiming that families of dead soldiers were not upset at his letters, but "ASIO

5292-755: The day. The State Library was also closed. Numerous other buildings, including David Jones stores, executive offices for the New South Wales Parliament , criminal courts for the Supreme Court , the Downing Centre , and "several city legal chambers" were evacuated, as were the facilities of the Seven Network , situated directly across from the café, forcing The Morning Show to suspend transmission. Police established an emergency centre in nearby Hyde Park in response to

5390-723: The detention of his wife and children by Iranian authorities after he espoused liberal views on Islam. According to London-based Persian TV channel Manoto 1 , he had fled Iran after taking US$ 200,000 of his customers' money in his tourism agency. According to Iran's official news agency , he was under investigation by Interpol and Iranian police at the time he was granted asylum, and Australian police did not extradite him despite several requests. Some commentators have expressed concern regarding this immigration and citizenship process. Esmaeil Ahmadi-Moghaddam, Iran's chief of police , told reporters that Monis had "a dark and long history of violent crime and fraud " in Iran and had run

5488-405: The detention of his wife and children. During an ABC Radio interview, he claimed that his family's detention was a result of views the Iranian government believed to be "dangerously liberal". David Ruteledge, the journalist who interviewed him, described this as "a little bit dramatic." Australia granted his request for political asylum that year. He claimed that his request for asylum followed

5586-508: The escape of five hostages on two separate occasions, or due to none of his demands being met. Further, Monis claimed to have a bomb, and "if the bomb was triggered, all of those inside the cafe and those attempting a rescue were not likely to survive". At 8:20   pm and again at 11:35   pm, the head of the Tactical Operations Unit attempted to persuade the other commanders to take a "Deliberate Action" plan and storm

5684-413: The escape, Monis threatened to kill hostages. The police State Technical Investigation Branch planted a covert listening device in the café during the night. At one point, the device picked up Monis saying that he wanted to kill any escaping hostages. At 2:03   am on 16 December, a "very loud bang" was heard as Monis shot towards six hostages fleeing from the building. At 2:11   am Monis fired

5782-685: The flag of the army that will fight the Masih ad-Dajjal . At the Battle of Siffin , according to tradition, Ali used the liwāʾ of the Prophet, which was white while those who fought against him instead used black banners. The Abbasid Revolution against the Umayyad Caliphate adopted black for its rāyaʾ for which their partisans were called the musawwid s. Their rivals chose other colours in reaction; among these, forces loyal to Marwan II adopted red. The choice of black as

5880-487: The foot. All three were in a stable condition after treatment. Paolo Vassallo, one of the five hostages who initially escaped the scene, was hospitalised for a pre-existing condition. The other hostages were identified as John O'Brien , Stefan Balafoutis, Elly Chen, Jieun Bae, Harriette Denny, Viswakanth Ankireddy, Joel Herat, Fiona Ma, Jarrod Hoffman, Puspendu Ghosh, Selina Win Pe, and Julie Taylor. Memorial services for Johnson and Dawson were held on 23 December: Johnson's in

5978-533: The fourth caliph of the Ahmadiyya Caliphate , explained the symbolism of the colours black and white in terms of the concept of revelation and prophethood. The Black Banner, which is distinct from the ISIL flag , has been used by some militant groups since the 1990s, including some Chechen groups. Scholars have interpreted IS's use of a similar black flag as representing their claim to re-establishing

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6076-453: The government to remove its troops from Afghanistan. One of the letters compared a dead soldier to a pig and called his body "contaminated". He sent similar letters to the families of British soldiers and the mother of a government official killed by a bombing in Jakarta , Indonesia. Monis pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation and 300 hours of community service and banned from using

6174-454: The hostage taker would not carry out his threat to kill Win Pe. He said there was some "step-by-step" process to have the hostages released (after nineteen hours). Jenkins says he would have liked the Christmas lights turned off quickly, and was unaware that this had been found to be possible. Jenkins was also not told about the Johnson text near the end of the siege that Monis wanted to release

6272-519: The lack of negotiation during the siege. Hostage Marcia Mikhael called radio station 2GB during the siege and said, "They have not negotiated, they've done nothing. They have left us here to die." Early on, hostages were seen holding a Jihadist flag against the window of the café, featuring the shahādah creed. Initially, many media organisations mistook it for the flag used by the Islamic State (IS); Monis later demanded that an IS flag be brought to him. Monis also unsuccessfully demanded to speak to

6370-459: The manager of the café, to phone 000 . Monis was bearded, wearing a black cap and wearing a black headband with the inscription, in Arabic: "We are ready to sacrifice for you, O Mohammad." He was carrying a blue sports bag, and armed with a sawed-off pump-action shotgun. The shotgun was old but could fire four shots in five seconds. Monis used hostages as human shields . He had chained and locked

6468-542: The morning at St Stephen's Uniting Church, Sydney, and Dawson's in the afternoon in the Great Hall of the University of Sydney . Interviews with some of the hostages were later recorded for television and broadcast, amid some controversy. After the siege began, a staged exclusion zone was established with thousands of people evacuated from nearby buildings. Including the floors above the café. The Sydney Opera House

6566-434: The purpose of the police contacting Kay in the first place, stating, "Why didn't they just print [a flag]?" The NSW Police Force followed a "contain and negotiate" strategy to avoid any direct action unless a hostage was killed or injured. They decided that this strategy could deliver a "peaceful negotiated outcome" because Monis had not harmed any hostages, despite having threatened to do so. Monis had not reacted violently to

6664-495: The release of half of the 18 hostages in return for Monis being allowed to talk on ABC radio. However, the Negotiation Commander decided not to do so because it conflicted with a standing policy to not negotiate with terrorists. The first negotiator was not told that the Grand Mufti of Australia and a barrister who represented Monis had offered to help negotiate with Monis. He only found out about Monis's demand for

6762-413: The request was never fulfilled. Hostages were ordered to hold up a Black Standard flag, with the shahādah in white Arabic letters (an Islamic creed declaring: "There is no God but Allah , and Muhammad is the messenger of God"), against the window of the café. Some news reports initially mistook it for the flag used by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Monis demanded to speak to

6860-461: The siege over soon after, later confirming that Monis was killed in the hostage rescue. Two hostages had died, and another three were injured by police bullets. TOU Officer B, whose face was grazed by a police bullet, was discharged from hospital later in the day. At the inquest, Counsel assisting the coroner, Jeremy Gormley SC, said, "No shot fired by Mr Monis, other than the one that struck and killed Mr Johnson, struck anyone." Mitchell McAlister, who

6958-501: The siege, Monis lost his appeal against his conviction and was sentenced to 300 hours of community service. Monis had been charged with accessory to murder relating to the death of his former wife who was found stabbed eighteen times, and set alight, on 21 April 2013 at a unit block in Werrington . However, on 12 December 2013, Magistrate William Pierce said "It is a weak case" and granted Monis bail. In November 2016, Amirah Droudis

7056-499: The siege, raising concerns about the content of Monis's website. On his website, Monis had pledged allegiance to "the caliph of the Muslims", believed to be referring to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi , and denounced moderate Islam. It has been reported that the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation followed up on the call by reviewing the website and Monis's posts on social media but found nothing to indicate that he

7154-499: The siege. The social media profiles of the hostages were also used to relay demands. At 1:43   am Tori Johnson texted his family "He's [Monis] increasingly agitated, walks around when he hears a noise outside with a hostage in front of him. Wants to release one person in good faith, tell police." This was reported to the police ten minutes later. During the early stages of the siege, the Australian Government and

7252-522: The three-judge panel unanimously dismissed his case. Upon further appeal to the High Court of Australia , the six-judge panel split 3–3 over the issue. Although the High Court of Australia normally comprises seven judges, one seat was vacant and as yet unfilled at the time Monis's case appeared before the court. Failing to achieve a majority vote in Monis's favour, the lower court's unanimous decision

7350-505: The unfolding situation with emergency services sent to the staging post to respond to any immediate threats. Evacuees were relocated to the area as a safety precaution. Trains did not stop at Martin Place railway station during the incident. Transport for NSW advised people to stay away from the CBD. Road closures prevented southbound access to the Cahill Expressway , York Street , and Harbour Street, and northbound access to

7448-516: Was "under prosecution by the Interpol " and Iran provided information to the Australian government about his criminal record, mental and spiritual status. Despite this, he was granted asylum in Australia. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham publicly questioned the decisions made by the Australian government after several discussions in which Monis's criminal status in Iran

7546-538: Was a " War on Islam " - leading the network to move studios when broadcasting the Sunrise program. Following the Haneef affair, in which a doctor was accused of aiding terrorists, Monis handed out pamphlets against Sunrise alleging that they told "Muslim doctors" that "If you want to kill people, why not use the tools of your own trade like a plague or a disease or something?" Monis made complaints to Channel Seven and

7644-487: Was a TAG East assaulter with the 2nd Commando Tactical Assault Group questioned the police use of M4A1 carbines with 5.56mm NATO rounds. Carbine rounds could have "dangerous effects in a dense and enclosed environment." It was initially unclear why 22 shots were fired by police, of which 13 hit Monis. The rounds were continuously fired in the belief that the hostage taker could reach for a bomb trigger. At around 2:00   pm on 15 December, police contacted Rebecca Kay,

7742-477: Was a lie. Monis said he was the secretary of the Iranian intelligence department. After 9/11, Monis called ASIO saying he knew Iran was responsible and asked for a financial reward for the information. He also asked ASIO to pay him to work as an informant. Monis proclaimed himself to be a Shia cleric . In late 2007, Australian Federation of Islamic Councils head Ikebal Patel said no Islamic community leaders knew anything about Monis and believed he "could be

7840-441: Was a senior member of the clergy in Iran, always locked his bedroom door, even when he went to the bathroom, and told his housemate not to bring friends over and not to answer the door if anyone knocked. Monis said that he was in "financial hardship" and borrowed $ 9,000, which were never repaid. In 2003, Monis dated Amanda Morsy for about six months, telling her he was Romanian, giving her gold necklaces and driving her to dates in

7938-558: Was also almost entirely consumed in his own self-importance. ... By 2014, he owned no property, was in debt, and had developed no employment skills. His attempts to develop a personal, religious following ... had failed. ... He was facing future serious criminal charges... he had made no public impact of note on the Australian political scene". Monis may have felt that he had "little left to live for". Man Haron Monis Man Haron Monis ( Persian : هارون مونس ; born Mohammed Hassan Manteghi Borujerdi ; 19 May 1964 – 16 December 2014)

8036-584: Was an Iranian-born refugee and Australian citizen who took hostages in a siege at the Lindt Chocolate Café at Martin Place , Sydney on 15 December 2014, lasting for 17 hours, until the early hours of the following morning. The siege resulted in the death of Monis and two hostages. While Monis had a warrant out for his arrest in Iran , he sought political asylum in Australia in 1996, which

8134-635: Was evacuated after a suspicious package was found; however, reports were unconfirmed by police. The US Consulate General in Sydney, located in Martin Place, was evacuated. Some Sydney schools were put in "white level lockout" due to the hostage situation, which meant that no school group was permitted to leave the school grounds. Police advised people in the area bounded by Hunter , George , Elizabeth , and Macquarie streets, bordering Martin Place, to remain indoors and away from windows. Commonwealth Bank , Westpac , and ANZ closed their CBD branches for

8232-523: Was found guilty, in a judge-only trial, of the murder of Monis's ex-wife and sentenced to 44 years' jail. Monis also had numerous charges of sexual assault , aggravated indecent assault, and common assault . On 14 April 2014, Monis was charged with three sexual assault offences against a woman and remanded in custody. He was granted bail on 26 May, six days after the Bail Act in New South Wales

8330-488: Was found stabbed 17 times and alight in a Werrington apartment stairwell. Monis' girlfriend, Amirah Droudis, was formally charged with murder, and on 15 November 2013, Monis was charged by NSW Police with being an accessory before the fact and an accessory after the fact to the murder. On 12 December 2013, Monis and Amirah appeared before Magistrate William Pierce at Penrith Local Court where they were granted bail. The magistrate said there were significant flaws in

8428-447: Was granted in 2001. Monis variously promoted himself as an Iranian intelligence official, a political activist, a spiritual healer and expert in black magic , an outlaw bikie and a Muslim cleric. He told a psychiatrist who diagnosed him with schizophrenia that he had to change his name for "security reasons," variously calling himself "Michael Hayson Mavros", "Sheikh Haron", and "Ayatollah Mohammed Manteghi Boroujerdi". Monis ran

8526-406: Was killed by crossfire when she was hit by seven police bullet fragments. Dawson was lying behind a chair that was hit by 10 bullets. Three hostages and TOU Officer B were wounded by police crossfire during the raid. The three hostages were Marcia Mikhael, who was shot in the leg; Robyn Hope, a 75-year-old woman who was shot in the shoulder; and Louisa Hope, her 52-year-old daughter, who was shot in

8624-422: Was left to stand. On 12 December 2014, Monis' appeal against his conviction for criminal use of the postal service resulted in a split decision of the High Court. The decision related to his protest against the presence of Australian troops in Afghanistan , which he expressed by sending letters to the families of soldiers killed there in which he called the soldiers murderers and urged the families to petition

8722-752: Was likely to commit an act of violence. Monis entered the Lindt Chocolate Café at 53 Martin Place, Sydney, at 8:33   am Sydney local time ( AEDT ) on 15 December 2014 ( UTC +11). The café was located directly across from the Seven News television studios, and near the Reserve Bank of Australia , the headquarters of the Commonwealth Bank , Westpac bank, and Martin Place underground train station . The hostage situation began at 9:44   am, when Monis forced Tori Johnson,

8820-410: Was made "completely clear". He migrated to Australia as a refugee in 1996 seeking political asylum . He used a one-month business visa to gain entry to the country. He applied for a protection visa when his business visa expired, and was granted a bridging visa while the protection visa application was assessed. From 1997 to 2000, Monis held a security guard licence, which would have let him carry

8918-648: Was nothing proactive about that operation, nothing." Belinda Neil, who was a negotiator for the NSW Police, stated that in negotiations, "[W]e want to try and talk to the hostage-taker. ...[W]e want to find out why he's there, why is he doing this, and we don't just go into this situation hoping to resolve it in half an hour." This approach would be consistent with the Behavioral Change Stairway Model . However, Mikhael stated that no such negotiation took place. Habib said that he called both

9016-492: Was photographed with a "1%" logo representing outlaw motorcycle clubs . Club members reportedly stated "no one really liked him" and described him as "strange and weird" and said "He would say he had a lot of money, but then he didn't have any." He was kicked out of the club and Rebels took his motorbike. Monis ran a "spiritual healing" business and promoted himself as a clairvoyant and an expert in " astrology , numerology , meditation and black magic " services. Monis used

9114-458: Was putting them up to it." He said "Monis was a very proud man," who cried "like a baby" in prison. Another lawyer said he always wanted to be "the centre of attention" in the media. In December 2011, Monis appeared before the Court of Criminal Appeal in Sydney arguing that the charges against him were invalid because they infringed his implied constitutional freedom of political communication, but

9212-407: Was representing himself, began discussing documents that he claimed were held by ASIO. He also claimed that ASIO was "conspiring against him" as they wanted him jailed. Magistrate Baptie told Monis that she had no power to order the release of documents held by ASIO and "advised him to stop talking because he would harm his defence". Monis staged a protest outside the court, following the adjournment of

9310-606: Was rewritten based on recommendations by the New South Wales Law Reform Commission . On 10 October, he was charged with another 40 sexual assault offences against six more women, and his bail was continued. Jeremy Gormly SC, counsel assisting the inquest, summarised Monis as "a complex, disturbed individual desperate for recognition and status but completely lacking the skills or achievements to bring that dream to life". Gormly summarised that "Monis could be plausible, courteous and controlled, but he

9408-422: Was secretive with the family and always refused to have his photo taken even at Christmas. He gave them the appearance of having money and being "very generous" but vague about where he worked. They described him as "rarely forthcoming with any direct or detailed answers." Social worker Sylvia Martin talked with Monis during a meeting with his former wife in 2012. She described Monis as prone to " grandiosity " and

9506-972: Was treated by two different psychiatrists who didn't know about the other and he was giving them different information. He was described as "quite guarded and reluctant to disclose too much information" and refused to give his phone number and home address. He was concerned that "ASIO and police were following him... and that some people could read his mind," according to a psychologist who grew up in Iran, who diagnosed him with obsessive-compulsive disorder . He avoided buying medication for mental illness with his Medicare card to conceal his use of medication from authorities. One solicitor said that Monis seemed paranoid and would often speak with his hand over his mouth because he thought people "watching him" might be able to lip read. In an inquest held after Monis' death, Dr. Jonathan Phillips diagnosed him as showing mixed features of narcissistic and antisocial personality disorders . Monis, together with Amirah Droudis, undertook

9604-560: Was witnessed by TOU sniper Sierra 3-1, who reported a hostage down. TOU Operators armed with M4A1 carbines threw eleven stun grenades as they stormed the café. Monis was shot in the head. TOU Officer A stated that "I watched the (Carbine) laser ... from the centre of his chest go to his head and his head exploded and he fell". Officer A fired a total of 17 rounds, and Officer B fired 5 additional rounds. Some fragments of those rounds killed hostage Katrina Dawson. Three other hostages and TOU Officer B were injured by crossfire. Police declared

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