NZ mosque attacks suspect Tarrant to face 50 murder charges
Al JazeeraThe 28-year-old to make second appearance in court on Friday, three weeks after the attack where 50 people were killed. Christchurch, New Zealand – Brenton Tarrant, the self-confessed white supremacist accused of killing 50 people at two Christchurch mosques last month, has been charged with 50 counts of murder and 39 counts of attempted murder before a court appearance on Friday. Thursday’s additional charges laid by the police could mean that, if found guilty, Tarrant could be the first person sentenced in a New Zealand court to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Tarrant’s second court appearance comes three weeks after the attack, as the New Zealand government rushed to make changes to gun laws and investigate how he was able to carry out the attacks. The Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand raised its fears to government agencies and politicians about harassment, discrimination and online abuse of Muslims for years before the attacks, according to the organisation’s spokesperson Anjum Rahman.