An Australian far-right extremist charged with murdering 51 Muslim worshipers in last year’s mass shooting at two New Zealand mosques yesterday unexpectedly flipped his plea to guilty.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the Muslim community expressed relief at the surprise decision, which removes the need for a lengthy trial that authorities feared would be used to spout neo-Nazi propaganda.
Self-avowed white supremacist Brenton Tarrant, 29, had previously denied 51 charges of murder, 40 of attempted murder and one of terrorism, but reversed his plea at a hurriedly arranged court hearing.
Photo: Reuters
“Yes, guilty,” Tarrant told the Christchurch High Court via videolink from Auckland Prison as the charges were read out to him.
Tarrant, wearing a gray top, stared intently at the camera while making his confession.
Neither the former gym instructor from Grafton, Australia, nor his lawyers offered any explanation for the change, which makes him New Zealand’s first-ever convicted terrorist.
The nation does not have the death penalty, but Tarrant faces the prospect of spending the rest of his life behind bars.
The terror and murder charges all carry life sentences, setting a minimum non-parole period of 17 years, but giving the judge power to imprison him without the possibility of release.
Ardern said that the admission of guilt would provide some relief to the many people whose lives were shattered in the attacks.
“These guilty pleas and conviction bring accountability for what happened, and also save the families who lost loved ones, those who were injured and other witnesses, the ordeal of a trial,” she said.
Asked how she reacted upon hearing the news, Ardern said: “I let out a huge sigh of relief.”
Judge Cameron Mander recorded convictions on all charges and said Tarrant would be sentenced at a date yet to be determined.
“The guilty pleas represent a very significant step towards bringing finality to this criminal proceeding,” Mander said.
The plea came with New Zealand in its first day of a four-week COVID-19 lockdown.
Mander said sentencing would take place “at a time when victims and their families can attend the court in person.”
The judge said that advance reporting that yesterday’s hearing was taking place was suppressed in case Tarrant changed his mind at the last minute and maintained his innocence.
Tarrant’s trial had been due to start on June 2 and last about six weeks, with New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush saying yesterday’s hearing was arranged after the gunman contacted his lawyers on Tuesday.
“Police appreciate this news will come as a surprise to the victims and the public, some of whom may have wished to be present in the courtroom,” Bush said in a statement.
Bush said imams from the mosques targeted by Tarrant were among only 17 people allowed in court to hear the revised plea.
New Zealand’s small Muslim community was relieved that there would not be a drawn-out trial.
“I have been praying for him and he has taken the right direction,” said Farid Ahmed, whose wife, Husna, was killed in the attacks. “I am pleased he is feeling guilty. It is a good start.”
NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT: An official said that Guan Guan’s comments had gone beyond the threshold of free speech, as she advocated for the destruction of the ROC China-born media influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China content that threatens national security, the National Immigration Agency said yesterday. Guan Guan has said many controversial things in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” while expressing hope for expedited “reunification.” The agency received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification last year. After investigating, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and account for her actions. Guan Guan appeared as required,
A strong cold air mass is expected to arrive tonight, bringing a change in weather and a drop in temperature, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The coldest time would be early on Thursday morning, with temperatures in some areas dipping as low as 8°C, it said. Daytime highs yesterday were 22°C to 24°C in northern and eastern Taiwan, and about 25°C to 28°C in the central and southern regions, it said. However, nighttime lows would dip to about 15°C to 16°C in central and northern Taiwan as well as the northeast, and 17°C to 19°C elsewhere, it said. Tropical Storm Nokaen, currently
‘NATO-PLUS’: ‘Our strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific are facing increasing aggression by the Chinese Communist Party,’ US Representative Rob Wittman said The US House of Representatives on Monday released its version of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which includes US$1.15 billion to support security cooperation with Taiwan. The omnibus act, covering US$1.2 trillion of spending, allocates US$1 billion for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative, as well as US$150 million for the replacement of defense articles and reimbursement of defense services provided to Taiwan. The fund allocations were based on the US National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2026 that was passed by the US Congress last month and authorized up to US$1 billion to the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency in support of the
PAPERS, PLEASE: The gang exploited the high value of the passports, selling them at inflated prices to Chinese buyers, who would treat them as ‘invisibility cloaks’ The Yilan District Court has handed four members of a syndicate prison terms ranging from one year and two months to two years and two months for their involvement in a scheme to purchase Taiwanese passports and resell them abroad at a massive markup. A Chinese human smuggling syndicate purchased Taiwanese passports through local criminal networks, exploiting the passports’ visa-free travel privileges to turn a profit of more than 20 times the original price, the court said. Such criminal organizations enable people to impersonate Taiwanese when entering and exiting Taiwan and other countries, undermining social order and the credibility of the nation’s
RSS