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Agence France-Presse

The man accused of shooting dead 51 Muslim worshippers in the Christchurch mosque attacks in March smiled on Friday as his lawyers entered not guilty pleas to multiple murder and terrorism charges.
Brenton Tarrant’s barrister told Christchurch High Court his client was pleading not guilty to all charges, prompting anger from survivors and relatives of those killed in the March 15 attacks.
The self-proclaimed white supremacist appeared in court via audiovisual link from a maximum-security prison in Auckland for the brief hearing.
Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian national, was committed to stand trial next year on 51 counts of murder, 40 of attempted murder and engaging in a terrorist act.
New Zealand doesn’t track hate crimes. Will Christchurch change that?
His smiling demeanour enraged survivors still reeling from the worst massacre in modern New Zealand history, who had packed the courthouse’s public gallery for a glimpse of the accused.
“It just shows he’s an animal,” Mustafa Boztas, who was wounded in the thigh, said outside the court. “I feel sad that someone can be so unhuman and take the lives of innocent people.”
Abdul Aziz, who confronted the gunman at the Linwood mosque and chased him off the premises, said he wanted to see Tarrant’s face.




“He was laughing there [in court] and he thinks he was so tough, but he was a coward when he faced me and he ran,” he said.
“He was not man enough to stand up that time and [now] he’s standing there and laughing. Put me for 15 minutes in one cell and then we will see if he can laugh any more.”
‘How do you tell a child some people don’t like you because you’re Muslim?’
Tarrant allegedly opened fire in the packed Al Noor mosque during Friday prayers, then travelled across town to continue the carnage in the suburban Linwood mosque, while live-streaming his actions on social media.
The court heard that mental health assessments had found Tarrant was fit to stand trial.
“No issue arises regarding the defendant’s fitness to plead, to instruct counsel, and to stand his trial. A fitness hearing is not required,” Judge Cameron Mander said in a statement shortly after the hearing.

The judge set a trial date of May 4, 2020, with proceedings expected to last at least six weeks, although some lawyers warned the case – sure to be one of the biggest-ever in New Zealand – could go twice as long.
“The court endeavours to bring serious criminal cases to trial within a year of arrest. The scale and complexity of this case makes this challenging,” Mander said.
Didar Hossain, whose uncle and friends were killed in the attack, was disappointed the justice system was taking so long to deal with the case.
“It should be finished in six months, that would be good for us. We are not happy,” he said.
Tarrant was remanded in custody to appear for a case review hearing to be held on August 15.
I feel sad that someone can be so unhuman and take the lives of innocent people
Mustafa Boztas, victim
Mander barred news outlets from taking photographs or video of Tarrant’s latest court appearance, although he said images from an earlier hearing could be used. He also lifted suppression orders on the names of those who were wounded in the attacks, except for those aged under 18.
The killings badly rattled normally peaceful New Zealand, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern earning international acclaim for her compassionate response towards the country’s small, tight-knit Muslim community.




Her government tightened gun laws and set about reviewing laws dealing with hate speech, as well as spearheading global efforts to ensure social media giants do more to combat online extremism.
Boztas, who spent more than a month in hospital receiving treatment for his wounded leg, vowed the hatred that inspired the attacks would not prevail.
“Justice will be served and we will rise from this and transform anger into love,” he said.


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New Zealand shooting

Accused shooter in Christchurch mosque attacks that left 51 dead pleads not guilty to all charges in New Zealand court

Brenton Tarrant, charged for murder in relation to the mosque attacks, is seen in the dock during his appearance in the Christchurch District Court on March 16. Photo: Reuters

Armed Police guard the Masjid Al Noor, Deans Avenue Mosque, Christchurch. 17 March 2019 New Zealand Herald photograph by Michael Craig. WGP 21Mar19 - Armed police guard the Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch. What happened in this southern city last Friday was an outpouring of hate, racism and pure madness.Photo / file HBG 23Mar19 - Armed police guard the Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch. What happened last week was an outpouring of hate, racism and pure madness. NZH 23Mar19 - Photo / Michael CraigPhoto / AAP BTG 05Apr19 - The violent attack on our Muslim community has raised questions about how racist we are as a society. NZH 16Apr19 - The 24/7 police presence at Masjid Al Noor in Christchurch and other mosques around the country will remain for the time being. Photo / Michael Craig NZH 23Apr19 - Facebook was criticised for failing to block the Christchurch attack video. Photo /Michael Craig

Christchurch massacre suspect appears in court, faces psychological test to determine whether he is fit to face trial on 50 murder charges

FILE - In this Monday, March 25, 2019, file photo, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern discusses a top-level inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the massacre in two Christchurch mosques on March 15, during a press conference in Wellington, New Zealand. Australia's Parliament has passed legislation that could imprison social media executives if their platforms stream real violence such as the New Zealand shootings. (AP Photo/Nick Perry, File)

Brenton Tarrant, charged for murder in relation to the mosque attacks, during his earlier court appearance on March 16. Photo: Reuters

New Zealand shooting: Christchurch mosque gunman posted racist manifesto online before rampage

Officers from the Armed Offenders Squad push back members of the public following the shooting. Photo: Reuters

Members of a family react outside the mosque following a shooting at the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, March 15, 2019. REUTERS/SNPA/Martin Hunter ATTENTION EDITORS - NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES

An injured person is loaded into an ambulance following a shooting at the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, March 15, 2019. REUTERS/SNPA/Martin Hunter ATTENTION EDITORS - NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES

Too soon? New Zealand terror attack to be turned into feature film called Hello Brother

Muslims enter the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch after it was reopened. Photo: AFP

French President Emmanuel Macron (R) and New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (L) attend a launching ceremony for the 'Christchurch call', an initiative pushed by Ardern after a self-described white supremacist gunned down 51 people in a massacre at two mosques in the New Zealand city in March, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on May 15, 2019. - French President and New Zealand's premier host other world leaders and leading tech chiefs to launch an ambitious new initiative aimed at curbing extremism online. (Photo by CHARLES PLATIAU / POOL / AFP)

Call Christchurch mosque gunman what he really is – a terrorist

Brenton Harrison Tarrant stands charged with murder, in Christchurch District Court on March 16. Photo: New Zealand Herald

As New Zealand grieves over the Christchurch terrorist attack, it must come to terms with how hatred was able to take root

People comfort each other as they pay their respects to the victims of the Christchurch terrorist attack. Photo: Xinhua

WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND - MARCH 17: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern hugs a mosque-goer at the Kilbirnie Mosque on March 17, 2019 in Wellington, New Zealand. 50 people are confirmed dead and 36 are injured still in hospital following shooting attacks on two mosques in Christchurch on Friday, 15 March. The attack is the worst mass shooting in New Zealand's history. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

Students hold candles as they gather for a vigil to commemorate victims of Friday's shooting, outside the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, Monday, March 18, 2019. Three days after Friday's attack, New Zealand's deadliest shooting in modern history, relatives were anxiously waiting for word on when they can bury their loved ones. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

This picture taken on March 17, 2019 shows local residents from different faiths paying their respects for the Christchurch mosques victims after placing flowers during an Open Day at Preston mosque in Melbourne. - Australian counter-terrorism police searched two homes early on March 18, 2019, linked to the gunman accused of killing 50 people at two New Zealand mosques last week, police said. (Photo by Con Chronis / AFP)

Mourner pay their respects near the Masjid Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, Monday, March 18, 2019. A steady stream of mourners paid tribute at makeshift memorial to the 50 people slain by a gunman at two mosques in Christchurch, while dozens of Muslims stood by to bury the dead when authorities finally release the victims' bodies. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

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His smiling demeanour enraged survivors still reeling from the worst massacre in modern New Zealand history
The Australian man allegedly opened fire in two mosques while live-streaming his actions on social media


His smiling demeanour enraged survivors still reeling from the worst massacre in modern New Zealand history.


Crime

Religion

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