A screengrab of news coverage on the Sydney cafe hostage situation shows the suspect who has been named as Iranian refugee and self-styled sheikh Man Haron Monis.

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 17 — Iranian gunman Man Haron Monis who kept Sydney gripped in a deadly hostage crisis had fled to Malaysia after committing “violent” crimes in Iran before seeking asylum in Australia, according to the Middle Eastern nation’s police.

Monis, who was shot dead by Australian police after holding 17 people hostage in a Sydney cafe, had absconded to Malaysia in 1996 during a time when he was wanted for those and fraud-related crimes.

Aside from his alleged crimes in Iran, Monis was also facing trial in Australia for a number of offences, including being accessory to the murder of his wife as well as over 40 sexual assault charges involving seven alleged victims.

It is unclear when the Iranian left Malaysia for Australia, where he was granted refugee status in 2001.

A hostage (left) runs towards police officers near Lindt Cafe, at Martin Place in central Sydney December 16, 2014. — Reuters pic Two heavily armed police officers assist a hostage away from Lindt Cafe in Martin Place in central Sydney, December 15, 2014. — Reuters pic Hostages run past a police officer (centre) near Lindt Cafe in Martin Place in central Sydney, December 15, 2014. — Reuters pic Police rescue personnel carry an injured woman from the Lindt cafe, where hostages are being held, at Martin Place in central Sydney, December 15, 2014. — Reuters pic A screengrab of a news coverage on the Sydney cafe hostage situation shows the suspect who has been named as Iranian refugee and self-styled sheikh Man Haron Monis, December 15, 2014. Two men (left in blue jacket; right in white shirt) are seen running out of the Lindt cafe, where hostages are being held, in this still image taken from video from Australia's Seven Network on December 15, 2014. — Reuters pic Hands are pressed up against the window of the Lindt cafe, where hostages are being held, in this still image taken from video from Australia’s Seven Network on December 15, 2014. — Reuters pic Police use a ladder to evacuate people from a building near Lindt cafe, where hostages are being held, in Martin Place in central Sydney, December 15, 2014. — Reuters pic A hostage runs towards a police officer outside Lindt cafe, where other hostages are being held, in Martin Place in central Sydney, December 15, 2014. — Reuters pic A woman is seen in a window of the Lindt cafe, where hostages are being held, at Martin Place in central Sydney, December 15, 2014. — Reuters pic New South Wales state police officers are seen at a corner near Lindt cafe in Martin Place, where hostages are being held, in central Sydney December 15, 2014. — Reuters pic Police officers are seen at a corner near Lindt cafe in Martin Place, where hostages are being held, in central Sydney December 15, 2014. — Reuters pic A woman is assisted as a group of people are evacuated by police from a building next to Lindt cafe in Martin Place, where hostages are being held, in central Sydney December 15, 2014. — Reuters pic People standing behind a police cordon look towards Lindt cafe in Martin Place, where hostages are being held, in central Sydney December 15, 2014. — Reuters pic Reporters and other onlookers behind a police cordon are reflected in the glasses of a police officer near Lindt cafe in Martin Place, where hostages are being held, in central Sydney December 15, 2014. — Reuters pic A police officer runs across Martin Place near Lindt cafe, where hostages are being held, in central Sydney December 15, 2014. Police officers position themselves at a corner near Lindt cafe in Martin Place, where hostages are being held, in central Sydney December 15, 2014. — Reuters pic A police officer stands near Lindt cafe in Martin Place, where hostages are being held, in central Sydney December 15, 2014. — Reuters pic A police officer runs across Martin Place near Lindt cafe, where hostages are being held, in central Sydney December 15, 2014. — Reuters pic A man is seen standing behind the window of the Lindt cafe, where hostages are being held, in this still image taken from video from Australia's Seven Network on December 15, 2014. — Reuters pic Previous Next

Iranian police chief General Ismail Ahmadi Moghaddam also revealed that Australia had declined Iran’s request to extradite Monis to stand trial for his crimes.

Moghaddam also alleged that Monis had sought asylum by masquerading as a Muslim cleric.

“It lasted four years to collect evidence on Manteqi’s [Monis’] identification documents and we reported this to the Australian police but since Australia has no extradition treaty with Iran, they didn’t extradite him,” Moghaddam was quoted as saying in a report by the Mehr News Agency.

Monis’ refugee status also precluded Australia from repatriating him to Iran.

Malaysia is a popular transit point for Iranians seeking to escape the Middle Eastern regime, owing to shared religious and cultural links between the two nations.

According to the Iranian embassy in 2011, there were over 70,000 of the country’s citizens residing in Malaysia, while an estimated 130,000 of its tourists arrive here annually.

The use of Malaysia as a jump-off point by Iranians was also illustrated during the disappearance of Flight MH370 in March, when two Iranians travelling on stolen passports initially triggered suspicions that the Malaysia Airlines plane had fallen victim to a terrorist attack.

The two men were later revealed to be travelling to Europe where they had hoped to seek asylum.