An Australian court heard how the men sent their brother on the flight, unaware he was carrying an explosive device in a meat grinder. Courtesy: Etihad Airways 
An Australian court heard how the men sent their brother on the flight, unaware he was carrying an explosive device in a meat grinder. Courtesy: Etihad Airways 

Lebanese brothers jailed for 76 years over Etihad bomb plot



Two brothers have been handed lengthy jail terms for plotting to bring down an Etihad Airways flight to Abu Dhabi from Sydney with a bomb hidden in a meat grinder on a third brother they said had brought disgrace on their family.

The Australian-Lebanese brothers, Khaled and Mahmoud Khayat, 51 and 34, were convicted in Australia of terrorism offences for trying to bomb a passenger jet in July 2017 under instructions from ISIS.

Khaled was sentenced to 40 years with a minimum of 30 years without parole, while Mahmoud received 36 years' jail time and ordered to serve at least 27.

The improvised device was to be smuggled inside the luggage of a third, unwitting brother, who prosecutors said was not aware of the plot.

A fourth brother, who is said to have fought with ISIS in Syria, is accused of directing the plot from overseas.

The plotters disapproved of their brother "because he drank, went clubbing, gambled and was gay, which they regarded as bringing shame on the family", judge Christine Adamson noted.

The plan was aborted at the airport when the plotters decided it was too risky to get through customs after airline staff said their bags were overweight.

After a baggage attendant told them to rearrange Amer's luggage, Khaled removed the bomb due to fears of it being detected.

Police said the explosives used to make the bomb had been sent by air from Turkey as part of a plot "inspired and directed" by ISIS.

In handing down her sentence, Ms Adamson said despite no one being killed, the offenders had succeeded in "creating terror" because the public was made aware of the plot.

"The conspiracy to which both offenders were parties plainly envisaged that a large number of people would be killed," she said.

After it failed, the brothers also planned to carry out a chemical gas attack in Sydney, prosecutors said. They were arrested 11 days after the airport incident.

The brothers maintain their innocence. They migrated and settled in Australia and appeared to have integrated into the community.

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Can NRIs vote in the election?

Indians residing overseas cannot cast their ballot abroad

Non-resident Indians or NRIs can vote only by going to a polling booth in their home constituency

There are about 3.1 million NRIs living overseas

Indians have urged political parties to extend the right to vote to citizens residing overseas

A committee of the Election Commission of India approved of proxy voting for non-resident Indians

Proxy voting means that a person can authorise someone residing in the same polling booth area to cast a vote on his behalf.

This option is currently available for the armed forces, police and government officials posted outside India

A bill was passed in the lower house of India’s parliament or the Lok Sabha to extend proxy voting to non-resident Indians

However, this did not come before the upper house or Rajya Sabha and has lapsed

The issue of NRI voting draws a huge amount of interest in India and overseas

Over the past few months, Indians have received messages on mobile phones and on social media claiming that NRIs can cast their votes online

The Election Commission of India then clarified that NRIs could not vote online

The Election Commission lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police asking it to clamp down on the people spreading misinformation