‘Wicked’ Christchurch mosque gunman sentenced to life

International Live: New Zealand mosque gunman Brenton Tarrant was sentenced to life in prison without parole Thursday for the massacre of 51 Muslim worshippers, with a judge calling him “wicked” and “inhuman”.

Judge Cameron Mander said that behind Tarrant’s “warped” ideology was a “base hatred” that led him to attack defenceless men, women and children last year in New Zealand’s worst terror attack.

“It is incumbent on the court to respond in a way that decisively rejects such vicious malevolence,” Mander said as he announced a sentence unprecedented in New Zealand legal history.

The judge said Tarrant had failed in his aim of promoting right-wing extremism as he gunned down victims in cold blood but the New Zealand Muslim community had still paid a terrible price.

He had admitted 51 charges of murder, 40 of attempted murder and one of terrorism over the attacks, after reversing an initial not-guilty plea.

“No minimum period is sufficiently long to satisfy sentencing objectives given the gravity of the offending and the devastating loss of life and injury,” he said.

Throughout the sentencing, Tarrant remained impassive as the court heard harrowing testimony from dozens of his victims and their families.

“Since my husband and son passed away, I’ve never had a proper, normal sleep. I don’t think I ever will,” widow Ambreen Naeem told the court.

Fearing Tarrant may use the platform to spout extremist ideology, the court had imposed tight restrictions on reporting of proceedings.

Arguing against life behind bars, counsel assisting the court Kerry Cook said Tarrant’s views had changed while he had been jailed and he had offered to meet the families in “restorative justice” session.

“Given his age, lack of previous record and guilty pleas, there is a prospect of rehabilitation,” he told the court, saying a whole-life sentence breached fundamental human rights.

Zarifeh said Tarrant’s belated description of his actions as “unnecessary, abhorrent and irrational” were questionable.

The atrocity shocked New Zealand and prompted Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to immediately tighten gun laws and pressure social media giants to curb online extremism.

 

Dhaka, 27 August (campuslive24.com)//MI

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