Sydney student sentenced over antisemitic Snapchat threats
A Sydney student has been convicted and fined after sending terrifying antisemitic voice recordings to a young Jewish person, in the latest case to reignite concerns about rising hate crimes in Australia.
Suvir Mahesh Salvi, 22, appeared at Waverley Local Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to using a carriage service to offend. The court heard that on August 12, 2023, Salvi sent two disturbing Snapchat voice recordings to the victim, who was known to him through Hyper Karting in Moore Park, where Salvi worked as a supervisor.
In one of the recordings, Salvi said:
“Bossman, I want to say something to you. Free Palestine, man, what the hell, man. It’s not cool, yeah.”
A second recording included another unidentified voice stating:
“Gas the Jews ya faggot” and “Heil Hitler,” before chanting “Free Palestine.”
The victim, fearing for his safety, hesitated to tell his parents initially, knowing that Salvi had access to his personal details from the karting centre’s customer records. When his father eventually learned of the threats, he confronted Salvi over the phone. Salvi denied sending the messages before unfriending the victim on Snapchat.
Snapchat on phone (Photo by Sanket Mishra via Pexels)
Attempting to cover his tracks, Salvi then texted the victim under the pretence of checking if he had the right number. When police arrested him in January 2024, he admitted to sending the recordings but claimed he was drunk and unaware of what was said. He also refused to reveal the identity of the second voice on the recordings.
The court determined that Salvi’s actions were hate crime motivated, noting that he targeted the victim because of his Jewish identity, after seeing an Israeli flag on the victim’s Snapchat profile.
Representing himself in court, Salvi apologized to Magistrate George Zdenkowski, saying:
“I am trying to better myself.”
The magistrate condemned Salvi’s behaviour as “foolish” and “stupid”, stating:
“The motivation was hatred; it may not have been in your heart for this particular occasion.”
Salvi had no prior criminal record and the court heard that he struggled with alcohol abuse. He was convicted and fined $500.
While Salvi has faced legal consequences, police investigations may continue to identify the unidentified voice in the recordings. The case has also reignited calls for tougher penalties for hate crimes and a stronger legal framework to combat rising antisemitism.
