The man who committed the worst atrocity in New Zealand's modern history when he slaughtered 51 worshippers at two Christchurch mosques unexpectedly pleaded guilty to all charges Thursday.
The attacks targeting people praying at the mosques a year ago shocked the nation and prompted new laws banning the deadliest types of semi-automatic weapons. It also prompted global changes to social media protocols after the gunman livestreamed his attack on Facebook, where it was viewed by hundreds of thousands of people.
The sudden turn in the case took survivors and relatives by surprise, and brought relief to people across New Zealand. Many had feared Australian white supremacist Brenton Harrison Tarrant would try to use his trial as a platform to promote his views. He'd outlined those views in a 74-page manifesto he published online shortly before the attacks.
Tarrant, 29, pleaded guilty to 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and one count of terrorism at the Christchurch High Court. He had previously pleaded not guilty to all charges and his trial had been scheduled to start in June.
Tarrant is the first person to be found guilty of terrorism in New Zealand under laws passed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the U.S.
The change in plea came less than two weeks after New Zealanders commemorated those who died on the anniversary of the March 15, 2019, attacks.
“Honestly, I'm still trying to process what just happened,” said Aya Al-Umari, whose brother Hussein was killed in the attack on the Al Noor mosque. “I feel conflicted."
She said that on the one hand, she had wanted to find out more details about what happened at the trial but on the other hand was feeling relieved about not having to face the trauma of sitting through it.
Temel Atacocugu, who survived being shot nine times during the attack at Al Noor, said he was surprised by the turn of events and hoped the judge would set an example at the sentencing by imposing the harshest punishment in the country's history and helping ensure nothing like it would happen again.
“I'm happy that he has accepted that he is guilty,” Atacocugu said.
,Judge Cameron Mander has not yet set a sentencing date. Tarrant faces life imprisonment, with the judge having some discretion in deciding the minimum number of years Tarrant must serve before becoming eligible for parole.
The change in plea came at a hastily arranged court hearing at a time that New Zealand was beginning a four-week lockdown to try and combat the new coronavirus. The lockdown meant Tarrant appeared in the court via video link from his jail cell in Auckland and only a handful of people were allowed inside the courtroom, including the imams from the two mosques that were attacked.
Mander said it was unfortunate the lockdown prevented victims and family members from being able to attend the hearing but the imams were helping to represent them. He said he wanted to quickly move ahead with the hearing, especially with the COVID-19 response threatening delays to the court schedule.
Tarrant, who was wearing a gray prison sweater, showed little emotion as he pleaded guilty. He didn't indicate why he had changed his pleas, and his lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment.
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who was praised around the world for her empathetic response to the Muslim community after the attacks, said it was “deeply disappointing” the victims didn't get to attend the hearing.
But she said there was “a certain sense of relief that the whole nation, but particularly our Muslim community, are being spared from a trial that could have otherwise acted as a platform."
Tarrant moved to New Zealand in 2017 and kept a low profile in the university city of Dunedin. He frequented a gym, practiced shooting at a rifle club range and built up an arsenal of weapons. He didn't appear to be employed, and said in some online posts that he'd inherited a significant amount of money when his father died.
Tarrant appeared to have a fascination with religious conflicts in Europe and the Balkans, and visited a number of sites in Eastern Europe in the years before he committed the massacre. After his attack at the second mosque, Tarrant was driving, possibly to carry out a shooting at a third mosque, when two police officers rammed his car off the road, dragged him out and arrested him.
AP Newsroom
Thu Mar 26 2020
In this image made from a video, Brenton Harrison Tarrant appears in a screen via video link in Christchurch, New Zealand Thursday, March 26, 2020. (TVNZ Pool via AP)
Freedom Flotilla to Gaza: Misi sekali lagi ditangguhkan, dijangka berlepas pada Jumaat
Ketika ini lokasi kapal memulakan pelayaran akan ditukarkan ke satu lokasi yang akan diumumkan dalam masa terdekat.
Pihak produksi masih terima Naim Daniel jika ubah fikiran
Ketua saluran Astro Ria, Norzeha Mohd Salleh memberitahu bahawa pihak produksi masih lagi memberi ruang kepada penyanyi tersebut untuk mempertimbangkan semula tawaran yang diberikan.
The Hardest Singing Show cabar kreativiti penyanyi tempatan
Program The Hardest Singing Show mencari satu juara yang mampu menyahut cabaran kreativiti luar limitasi.
Pekerja Ahli Parlimen EU disyaki jadi pengintip China
Polis Jerman telah menahan seorang pekerja ahli politik Parlimen Eropah Alternative for Germany (AfD) kerana disyaki menjadi pengintip China.
Amaran ribut hujan tahap tertinggi dikeluarkan di Guangdong, selatan China
Lebih 100,000 orang sudah dipindahkan akibat hujan lebat dan banjir yang boleh membawa maut di selatan China.
Jokowi dan anaknya bukan lagi ahli PDIP
Presiden Indonesia Joko Widodo atau Jokowi dan anaknya, bakal naib presiden Gibran Rakabuming Raka, bukan lagi ahli parti terbesar negara itu selepas mereka menyokong calon pesaing yang juga pemenang pilihan raya Prabowo Subianto.
Lima migran maut ketika cuba memasuki Perancis
Lima termasuk seorang kanak-kanak, maut dalam cubaan menyeberangi Selat Inggeris dari Perancis pada Selasa.
Polis New York lakukan penahanan himpunan lewat malam
Polis New York bertindak melakukan penahanan membabitkan peserta yang terlibat dalam himpunan solidariti terhadap Palestin di Universiti New York (NYU) pada lewat malam Isnin. Penahanan itu dibuat selepas mereka didakwa mengingkari arahan amaran pihak universiti untuk bersurai dan mengosongkan plaza yang menjadi tempat mereka berkumpul.
Break The Siege: Ada kemungkinan lokasi pelepasan kapal ditukar
Jawatankuasa Pemandu Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), Kamarul Zaman Shaharul Anwar memaklumkan, wujud kemungkinan lokasi pelabuhan bagi pelepasan kapal yang terlibat dalam misi Break the Siege of Gaza Freedom Flotilla ditukar.
Benarkan syarikat milik bukan Islam cetak Al-Quran, pengarah syarikat didenda
Seorang pengarah syarikat percetakan dijatuhi hukuman denda RM8,000 atau penjara lima bulan oleh Mahkamah Majistret Petaling Jaya pada Selasa selepas mengaku salah tidak mematuhi syarat-syarat lesen untuk mencetak atau menerbitkan Teks al-Quran, bulan lepas.
Pengganas Christchurch, New Zealand kemuka rayuan sabitan, hukuman
Pengganas yang menyerang jemaah di dua masjid Christchurch, New Zealand pada 2019 telah mengemukakan rayuan terhadap sabitan dan hukuman penjara seumur hidup.
2 tahun tragedi Christchurch: Dunia perlu bahas isu 'pelampau kulit putih' - Jacinda Ardern
Kenyataan Perdana Menteri New Zealand itu dibuat selepas genap dua tahun serangan berdarah di dua masjid di bandar Christchurch.
Australia terbuka terima Brenton Tarrant jalani hukuman penjara di negara asal
Perdana Menteri Australia, Scott Morrison memaklumkan, beliau terbuka untuk membenarkan Brenton Tarrant menjalani hukuman seumur hidup di tanah airnya sendiri.
Keluarga mangsa Christchurch sambut baik keputusan mahkamah
Mereka yang memegang sepanduk berbentuk hati dan kata-kata semangat seperti 'kami sentiasa bersama anda' bersorak sambil melambaikan tangan di perkarangan mahkamah sebaik keputusan diumumkan.
Penembak serangan Christchurch dijatuhi hukuman penjara seumur hidup
Brenton Tarrant bakal menjalankan hukuman penjara seumur hidup, iaitu yang pertama kali dijatuhi di New Zealand.
Serangan Christchurch: Suspek bercadang bakar masjid selepas serangan
Tarrant, mengaku bersalah atas 51 tuduhan membunuh, 40 tuduhan cubaan membunuh dan satu tuduhan melakukan keganasan.
Penyerang 2 masjid Christchurch dijangka dipenjara seumur hidup
Hukuman ke atas Brenton Tarrant akan ditentukan menerusi prosiding yang akan berlangsung empat hari bermula Isnin.
Keputusan penghakiman insiden berdarah Christchurch diketahui 24 Ogos
Hakim Cameron Mander berkata keputusan penghakiman dijangka berlangsung selama tiga hari.
Penyerang Christchurch mengaku salah
Seorang rakyat Australia yang dituduh menembak mati seramai 51 jemaah Islam di dua buah masjid di New Zealand pada Mac 2019 mengubah pengakuannya kepada mengaku bersalah atas semua pertuduhan.
Suspek serangan masjid Christchurch mengaku salah atas semua pertuduhan
Tarrant sebelum ini menafikan semua tuduhan terhadapnya dan bakal berdepan perbicaraan pada Jun nanti.