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New Zealand: Christchurch mosque killer sentenced to life without parole

2020-08-27T04:25:12.285Z


Brenton Tarrant had murdered 51 faithful Muslims in 2019. For the prosecutor, life imprisonment was "the only appropriate sentence".


Christchurch mosque killer Brenton Tarrant was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday without parole for murdering 51 worshiping Muslims in 2019 in New Zealand. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern immediately reacted, wishing the Christchurch killer a life of " utter and utter silence ".

When giving the sentence, Judge Cameron Mander stressed that behind the “ twistedideology of this “ evil ” and “ inhuman ” man, there was a “ deep hatred ” which led him to s' attack defenseless men, women and children. " It is up to the Court to provide a response of categorical rejection in the face of such heinous misdeeds ", declared the judge in pronouncing this sentence unprecedented in the judicial history of New Zealand.

Read also: Victims shout their anger at the killer of Christchurch mosques

The magistrate, who underlined the very heavy price paid by the New Zealand Muslim community, affirmed that the author of the terrible carnage failed, however, to promote far-right ideology. It was brutal and ruthless. Your actions were inhumane, ”said the judge.

On March 15, 2019, this white Australian supremacist killed in cold blood, in two mosques in this southern New Zealand city, 51 faithful during Friday prayers, sparking a huge wave of indignation around the world. He had pleaded guilty to 51 murders, 40 attempted murders and one terrorist act. Prosecutor Mark Zarifeh said the carnage is “ unprecedented in New Zealand's criminal history ”.

" Only appropriate sentence "

" The offense was motivated by a deeply rooted racist and xenophobic ideology (...) He is clearly the worst murderer that New Zealand has known ," he said. For the prosecutor, life imprisonment was " the only appropriate sentence " for Brenton Tarrant. " No minimum period is long enough to respond to the seriousness of the offense as well as the loss of life and injuries which have been devastating " for the relatives of the victims, he stressed. Faced with the survivors overwhelmed by grief and anger who testified during these four days of hearings, the 29-year-old Australian remained unmoved.

Several survivors of the carnage shouted before the Christchurch court their anger against a " terrorist ", who according to them deserves to die or " never to see the sun " again. When witnesses called him a " devil " and a " hateful thug " who destroyed lives but made the New Zealand Muslim community stronger, the killer just stroked his chin. Brenton Tarrant, who chose to defend himself, challenging his lawyers last month, has decided not to speak. Before Monday, the killer had attended by video conference, from his high security prison in Auckland, the previous hearings.

During the trial, prosecutor Barnaby Hawes recounted how the Australian on March 15, 2019 methodically slaughtered women, children and men, while filming the killings and broadcasting it live on social media, how he ignored the appeals for pity of some victims, how he had rolled over a body while going from one mosque to another. When he saw three-year-old Mucad Ibrahim gripping his father's leg, Mr. Tarrant executed him " with two precisely placed bullets ," said Mr. Hawes.

7000 ammunition

Australian Brenton Tarrant arrived in New Zealand in 2017 and assembled an entire arsenal, including more than 7,000 ammunition. Two months before the attacks, he had traveled to Christchurch to locate the scene. He had flown a drone over the al-Nour mosque, filming the building, its entrances, its exits.

On March 15, 2019, he arrived by car, equipped with multiple semi-automatic weapons on which he had inscribed various symbols as well as references to the Crusades and recent attacks. He had spare magazines full of ammunition as well as jerry cans " to set the mosques on fire ."

A few minutes before taking action, he had sent his 74-page " manifesto " to an extremist site, warned his family of what he was about to do and sent emails to several editorial staff containing threats against them. mosques.

Judge Cameron Mander imposed drastic restrictions on media coverage of the proceedings to prevent the accused from using his trial as a platform to spread his hate messages. This killing led the government to toughen the gun law and step up its efforts to fight extremism on the internet.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2020-08-27

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