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MELBOURNE - Australia's first convicted terrorist leader has been jailed for 15 years.
Abdul Nacer Benbrika, 48, of the Melbourne suburb of Dallas, who talked about attacking several Melbourne landmarks, must serve a minimum of 12 years.
Benbrika was sentenced on three charges, receiving 15 years for intentionally
directing the activities of a terrorist organisation.
He was sentenced to seven years for intentionally being a member of a terrorist organisation and five years for possessing a CD connected with the preparation of a terrorist act.
He will serve the terms concurrently.
Six of Benbrika's followers also received prison terms.
Aimen Joud, 24, of Hoppers Crossing, has been jailed for a minimum of seven-and-a-half years prison.
Abdullah Merhi, 23, of Fawkner, must serve a minimum of four years in prison.
Ahmed Raad, 25, Fawkner, will be required to serve a minimum of seven-and-a-half years.
Amer Haddara, 29, of Yarraville, was sentenced to a minimum of four-and-a-half years.
Fadl Sayadi, 29, of Coburg, was sentenced to a minimum of six years prison.
Ezzit Raad, 27, from Preston, must serve five years and nine months.
In a sentencing that lasted more than two hours, Victorian Supreme Court Justice Bernard Bongiorno summed up the roles of each of the men and their personal circumstances.
He said terrorist acts in modern times were carried out by unskilled fanatics like Benbrika.
Benbrika, a father of seven, had not renounced his beliefs, Justice Bongiorno said.
"All the evidence points to the conclusion that he maintains his position with respect to violent jihad."
Justice Bongiorno said there was a need to protect society from criminals like Benbrika.
He said the men considered violent jihad an integral part of their religious obligations.
Justice Bongiorno said the group often referred to themselves as Mujahideen and talked about destroying buildings and killing infidels.
Benbrika and his followers were found guilty in September 2008 after a trial that lasted eight months.
Joud, who was regarded as the heir apparent to Benbrika, had showed an impatience that the group was not progressing in its aim of jihad more quickly.
"In performing the function as he did within the group, Joud undoubtedly took a leadership role," Justice Bongiorno said.
"There is no evidence before the court that he has abandoned his belief in violent jihad ... there is no evidence at all that he has resiled from being a would-be terrorist."
"Joud is still young and is entitled to have his youth taken into account in fixing sentences in this case."
Justice Bongiorno said the evidence of a plot to blow up the MCG would not be taken into account because the man who gave the evidence could not be believed.
He said Izzydeen Atik, who gave the evidence, was a liar and a fraudster of significant accomplishment.
"It is unlikely the jury accepted him as a witness of truth and indeed the court will not," Justice Bongiorno said.
"Had Atik's evidence on the proposed targets been accepted their criminality would have been significantly greater.
"It is not to say that their criminality is to be regarded as trivial."
The men have been in custody since November 2005, when they were arrested during raids in Melbourne's northern and western suburbs.
They were accused of planning terrorist acts in Melbourne, including blowing up the MCG on grand final day and Crown Casino.
The trial heard from more than 50 witnesses and was played thousands of hours of listening device material and telephone intercepts.
Jurors heard Benbrika had told his followers it was "permissible to kill women, children and the aged" and that the group needed to kill at least 1,000 non-believers to make the Australian government withdraw soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Atik told the court when the plan to target the crowd of close to 100,000 at the MCG on grand final day had to be shelved, the terrorists allegedly spoke about planning to attack Crown Casino during the 2006 Australian Formula One Grand Prix and a pre-season AFL game.
It has also been alleged the men talked about blowing up the West Gate Bridge.
Sayadi, who is married with no children, was an organiser within the group and gave members advice on how to access jihadi websites, the court heard.
Sayadi also expressed concerns about the security of the organisation and was particularly worried about the undercover operative SIO 39, Justice Bongiorno said.
The judge said Sayadi has not in any way moderated or changed his extremist views.
Justice Bongiorno said letters tendered to the court on behalf of Merhi that demonstrated he was now opposed to the killing of innocent people could not be accepted because they were not properly tested by him giving evidence.
Justice Bongiorno said Merhi was clearly a thoughtful young man, but he rejected the suggestion he had renounced terrorism.
Ahmed Raad, a former apprentice plumber, turned to Benbrika's religious instruction after the death of his brother, the court heard.
Justice Bongiorno said Raad, who is married with a daughter, was effectively the treasurer of the group and reported to Benbrika about the finances of the group.
The judge accepted that Ezzit Raad was somewhat less involved than other members of the group.
Haddara was only convicted of being a member of the organisation.
- AAP
