Tue 08 November 2022:
The conviction and life sentence of a self-described white supremacist who massacred 51 Muslim worshipers at two Christchurch mosques in March 2019 have been appealed.
A representative for the Court of Appeal in Wellington, New Zealand’s capital, said to several media sites on Tuesday that no date has been set for the hearing.
In August 2020, Brenton Tarrant, who was 29 at the time, received a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the worst mass shooting in New Zealand history, which resulted in the deaths of 51 people and the attempted murder of an additional 40.
It was the first time a person has been given a life sentence by a New Zealand court.
Terrorist Brenton Tarrant accused to face 50 murder charges: NZ police
Judge Cameron Mander said he was imposing the toughest possible term given the magnitude of the crime.
“Your crimes are so wicked, that even if you are detained until you die it will not exhaust the requirements of punishment and denunciation,” Mander said at the time.
An inquiry into the killings concluded that, since intelligence services had directed their efforts away from investigating right-wing threats and instead focused heavily on the “threat of Islamist extremist” activity, they could not have been alerted of an imminent attack.
“PLAYING GAMES”: CHRISTCHURCH MOSQUE KILLER MAY APPEAL AGAINST CONVICTIONS AND SENTENCE
Asked about the gunman’s appeal application, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern repeated her promise, made shortly after the attacks, not to speak his name.
“His is a story that should not be told and his is a name that should not be repeated and I am going to apply the same rule in commenting on his attempt to re-victimise people,” Ardern said.
“We should give him nothing,” she said.
The Australian national stormed the mosques armed with military-style semi-automatic weapons, indiscriminately shooting at Muslims gathered for Friday prayers and livestreaming the killings on social media.
New Zealand Shootings: Brenton Tarrant Bought Four Guns Legally Online
The youngest of the victims was three-year-old Mucaad Ibrahim, who was born in New Zealand to Somali parents. The oldest was 77-year-old Muse Awale, a retired religious studies teacher.
Temel Atacocugu, who was shot nine times in the attacks, said the attacker just wanted attention.
“I would like to tell him, grow up, be a man and die quietly in jail because that is what you deserve,” Atacocugu told the Stuff news website.
“I saw him when he shot me. If he is thinking he shouldn’t be in jail forever or die in jail, he is just dreaming.”
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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