New Zealand: Christchurch Mosque Attacker Seeks to Overturn Guilty Plea

New Zealand: Christchurch Mosque Attacker Seeks to Overturn Guilty Plea
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The case of the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks has resurfaced in New Zealand after Australian national Brenton Tarrant moved to have his guilty plea set aside.

Tarrant carried out the attacks on two mosques in the city of Christchurch on March 15, 2019, killing 51 worshippers and injuring 40 others during Friday prayers. In March 2020, he formally pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced in August that year to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole—the harshest sentence ever imposed in New Zealand.

The 35-year-old has now filed an out-of-time appeal, arguing that prolonged solitary confinement from March 2019 until September 2024 adversely affected his mental health and coerced his admission of guilt. The Court of Appeal in Wellington has deferred its decision following five days of hearings. Court information indicates that rulings are typically issued within three months of closing arguments. If the request is denied, the case will return to standard judicial channels for any further challenges related to the sentence.

Prosecutors said the guilty plea constituted a definitive legal admission and emphasized that the evidence against Tarrant was overwhelming, including video recordings, forensic material and witness testimony. They argued the appeal lacks a legal basis capable of altering the conviction.

The Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand warned that reopening the case could provide the convicted attacker with renewed public exposure to promote extremist views, noting that judicial transparency can sometimes be exploited by perpetrators of terrorism.