Glamorous 19-year-old at the centre of a heated political storm breaks cover flashing her Louis Vuitton handbag and designer shoes – before jumping into a luxury $165,000 Mercedes
A Sydney teenager accused of displaying the flag of a terrorist organization at a recent protest has blown his cover while donning designer accessories and driving a Mercedes worth $165,000.
Sarah Mouhanna, 19, was seen leaving her family’s home in Arncliffe in Sydney’s south on Tuesday, six days after turning herself in at Kogarah police station when her image was released to the media.
The young nail technician, who works three days a week, was seen leaving the lavish seven-bedroom home currently under renovation with a Louis Vuitton handbag worth $2,970 and Christian Dior slippers worth $1,190.
The wealthy teen then got behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class station wagon, valued at $165,000, and drove a short distance to a friend’s house in nearby Rockdale.
NSW Police launched a public appeal that led to Mouhanna turning herself in last Wednesday after she was seen protesting in Sydney on September 29 against the Israeli bombardment of Gaza.
She was later charged with displaying a symbol of a banned terrorist organization and granted bail ahead of her court appearance on October 23.
The protest, attended by thousands, was part of a broader movement in support of Palestine and Lebanon as tensions escalate in the Middle East a year after the October 7 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 Israelis .
Sarah Mouhanna was seen walking to her Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class station wagon
The young nail technician wore $1,190 Christian Dior slippers and carried a $2,970 Louis Vuitton handbag
Hezbollah, backed by Iran, has been listed as a terrorist group in Australia since 2021, and displaying its symbols is illegal under Commonwealth law.
As many as 30,000 protesters marched in Sydney and thousands more in Melbourne last month in support of Palestine and Lebanon.
Several people waved the yellow flag of Hezbollah, a militant and political group from Lebanon that is listed as a terrorist organization in Australia, as well as photos of slain leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Protests continued throughout the weekend and into Monday as the world marked one year since the attacks.
Thousands of Australians took part in vigils and demonstrations across the country on Monday to mark the first anniversary of the October 7 attack on Israel.
More than 40,000 Palestinians have died in the deadly conflict that followed on October 7.
Tensions have risen further after Israel killed Nasrallah in an airstrike, prompting Iran to rain missiles on Israel.
Photos of Sarag Mouhanna were released by NSW Police last month as part of their investigation into the Sydney public order incident
Sarah was seen leaving Kogarah police station in Sydney’s southern suburbs last Wednesday afternoon, shielding her face with her jacket
Liberal Senator James Patterson said the sight of Hezbollah flags at the September 29 rallies in Melbourne and Sydney was “disturbing” as the group has been designated a terrorist organization by Australia.
“This is a clear breach of 80.2HA of the Commonwealth Criminal Code. It’s time for police to enforce the law,” he tweeted.
Displaying flags representing a designated terrorist organization is a prohibited offense and has been widely condemned by politicians, police and Jewish organizations.
Protests in support of the Palestinians have been taking place on the streets of Australian cities for almost 50 weeks since Israel’s military retaliation to Hamas’ October 7 attacks on its territory and the taking of Israeli hostages.
AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw described the display of Hezbollah flags as “un-Australian” and an offense under federal law.
“If they fly these flags, especially the flags of Hezbollah and Hamas, action will be taken,” Commissioner Kershaw said.