The lawyer for accused terror suspect Mohamed Haneef has backed out of a rally organised by an extremist Islamic group with alleged links to the British car-bomb terror suspects.
Peter Russo and Haneef's visiting relative Imran Siddiqui were named as speakers at the Sydney rally organised by Hizb ut-Tahrir for Sunday.
But after Mr Russo was tipped off about the involvement of the extremist group he decided against attending.
A spokesman for Mr Russo told The Australian newspaper he had never confirmed the appearance and that Hizb ut-Tahrir had been premature in listing him as a speaker.
"He was concerned that his name had been listed without confirmation," the spokesman said.
But the spokesman declined to comment on whether Hizb ut-Tahrir was a factor in Mr Russo's decision not to attend the rally.
The group's Australian spokesman Wassim Doureihi told The Australian that Mr Russo and Mr Siddiqui had accepted the invitation to speak at the rally in the full knowledge Hizb ut-Tahrir was organising it.
He said on Thursday night that Mr Russo had called to say he was too busy too attend.
Hizb ut-Tahrir has dismissed links to the London attacks and denied supporting or sponsoring terrorism.
Haneef, an Indian national and a Gold Coast hospital registrar, is charged with providing support to a terrorist organisation by giving a SIM card to a relative later linked to the failed plot to bomb central London and Glasgow airport.
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© AAP 2007
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