Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – According to the Associated Press, Brenton Tarrant, the perpetrator of the Christchurch mosque shootings, appeared in the Wellington Court of Appeal on the 9th to appeal his 2020 guilty plea and life imprisonment without parole.
At the hearing, Tarrant stated that his guilty plea was due to "irrational" mental state caused by the harsh prison conditions, and that he was experiencing "nervous fatigue," and he hoped to have his guilty plea withdrawn. If his application is granted, the case will be sent back for retrial.
On March 15, 2019, the Australian man carried out terrorist attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, killing 51 Muslim worshippers and injuring dozens, including a 3-year-old boy. This was the deadliest mass shooting in New Zealand's history. In March 2020, Tarrant pleaded guilty to 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder, and one count of terrorism, and was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole, the first time such a sentence had been applied in New Zealand's judicial history.
Prosecutor Barnaby Hoss pointed out that prison records and mental health assessments showed no evidence that Tarrant suffered from a serious mental illness at the time, and emphasized that he could have applied for a postponement of the trial or chosen to defend himself.
The five-day hearing was conducted under strict security measures, allowing only a select group of journalists, victims' families, and survivors to attend. Tarrant appeared via video link. If the court rules his guilty plea invalid, the case will be remanded for retrial; if the original sentence is upheld, his life imprisonment sentence will continue.
The New Zealand government had previously passed legislation prohibiting the dissemination of Tarrant's extremist manifesto and videos of his attacks. This appeal has once again raised public concerns about the boundaries of judicial procedures, mental health assessments, and the rights of terrorism offenders. (End)
