The author of the carnage at the Christchurch mosques dismissed his lawyers on Monday, raising fears that he would make the August hearing, during which his sentence will be pronounced, a forum to promote his convictions as a white supremacist.
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Australian Brenton Tarrant, who pleaded guilty in March to the 51 murder charges, the 40 attempted murder charges and one other terrorist act charge, during the attack on the two mosques in Christchurch, is to be fixed on his sentence on August 24.
Christchurch High Court judge Cameron Mander authorized the two lawyers for the massacre, Shane Tait and Jonathan Hudson, to withdraw from the proceedings on demand during a preliminary hearing on Monday of their client. The magistrate, however, ordered that a lawyer be available for next month's hearing, should the perpetrator change his mind.
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Brenton Tarrant appeared in Christchurch court via video link from his Auckland prison on Monday. New Zealand Muslim Association President Ikhlaq Kashkari wondered what motivated Brenton Tarrant's decision, fearing that victims would be traumatized again if he used this hearing to report of his far right convictions.
" When I learned that, my first concern was whether this guy was going to use this forum to promote his opinions and ideas, " he told AFP. “ Many people remain traumatized and see (this audience) as one of the steps that will allow them to turn the page. I hope that will not trigger more grief instead , "added Ikhlaq Kashkari.
Brenton Warrant killed 51 people in two mosques
In March 2019, equipped with an arsenal of semi-automatic weapons, Brenton Warrant opened fire in two mosques during Friday prayers, killing 51 people, all Muslims, including women and children. He had broadcast the images of the massacre live.
In March, the man who had hitherto denied the charges, which could lead to life imprisonment, reversed his decision by pleading guilty. He will therefore not be tried during a trial. Those who survived the killings and the families of the victims will attend the three-day hearing after which the sentence will be pronounced. New Zealand Muslim Women's Council spokesperson Anjum Rahman said many will not want to hear the killer speak up. " In the past, he has shown that he likes to draw attention to himself, " she said.