Far-right extremist Jacob Hersant to be jailed for Nazi salute but length of sentence still to be determined

The first person found guilty of performing the Nazi salute in Victoria will be sentenced to jail. Far-right extremist Jacob Hersant was found guilty on Tuesday of performing the gesture last year, after a magistrate rejected his argument the laws were constitutionally invalid. During Wednesday's hearing, Prosecutor Daniel Gurvich KC argued Hersant's prospects of rehabilitation were "poor to non-existent", and said his performance of the Nazi salute was "calculated to achieve maximum impact". But during Wednesday's hearing, Magistrate Sonnet said "powerful" mitigating factors for Hersant's sentence were missing, citing his lack of remorse, his absence of guilty plea and his criminal history. On Tuesday after finding Hersant guilty, Magistrate Sonnet said Hersant knowingly performed the salute, which he described as "an inherently political act" intertwined with Nazi ideology.