(Wellington) The Australian white supremacist who murdered 51 people at two New Zealand mosques in 2019 has appealed his life sentence, a judicial official told AFP on Tuesday.
Posted at 11:19 p.m.
In March 2019, Brenton Tarrant used an arsenal of semi-automatic weapons to kill in cold blood worshipers attending Friday prayers in two mosques in Christchurch (southern New Zealand), broadcasting images of his live attack on social networks. His victims were all Muslims and included children, women and the elderly.
He was sentenced in August 2020 to life in prison without the possibility of parole – a first in New Zealand – after pleading guilty to 51 murders, 40 attempted murders and one terrorist act.
“An appeal against the convictions and sentence has been filed,” Liz Kennedy, a spokeswoman for the judge’s office, announced on Tuesday.
During the statement of the sentence, judge Cameron Mander had pronounced against the killer “the most severe punishment possible” for his “inhumane” acts.
“Your crimes are so cruel that even if you are held until your death, it will not satisfy the need for punishment,” Mr. Mander said at the time.
Tony Ellis, Mr Tarrant’s lawyer, explained that his client claimed to have admitted the facts under duress and to have “decided that the easiest solution was to plead guilty”.