New Zealand serves justice with life sentence for mosque shooter Brenton Tarrant

Clockwise from left: Al-Noor mosque shooting survivor Taj Mohammed Kamran reacts as he leaves the High Court after the last day of the sentencing hearing for Brenton Tarrant. // Survivors of the twin mosque shootings react as they arrive at Christchurch High Court. // Members of the public gather in front of the High Court to support relatives of victims killed in the 2019 twin mosque shootings. (AFP)
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Updated 28 August 2020
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New Zealand serves justice with life sentence for mosque shooter Brenton Tarrant

  • White supremacist killed 51 people during anti-Muslim shooting spree in Christchurch in March 2019
  • Thursday’s sentencing brought wave of shared relief at infamous chapter starting to come to an end

CHRISTCHURCH: New Zealanders are hoping that the life sentence given to Brenton Tarrant — the mass killer who murdered 51 people during an anti-Muslim shooting spree last year — will bring an end to one of the darkest periods in the country’s recent history.

Tarrant, 29, was sentenced on Thursday to life imprisonment without parole.

The judge, Justice Cameron Mander, told the gunman he had been motivated by a “base hatred of people perceived to be different from yourself.”

He called Tarrant’s actions “inhuman,” saying the killer “showed no mercy.”




Australian white supremacist Brenton Tarrant attends his first day in court in Christchurch on August 24, 2020. (AFP)

The whole-of-life sanction, for killings that took place during Friday prayers last March at a mosque and nearby religious center, was a first for the South Pacific nation, which carried out its last execution in 1961 before abolishing the death penalty in the late 1980s.

Christchurch is an unlikely setting for a hate crime of such scale. In December 1850, four ships carrying British laborers and farmers “of reputable morals” arrived at New Zealand’s second-largest city, to establish what they cheerfully supposed to be a “better” class of Anglican-style life — decorous, devout and, as an old cliche used to have it, more English than England.

But there were always others in the cultural mix, too, not least the indigenous Maori tribesmen who staked out a claim to the land centuries earlier. More recently, and from the early 2000s in particular, Christchurch has been a destination of choice for eligible refugees, including many from the Middle East.

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However, the Garden City also played host to Tarrant, a diminutive white supremacist who journeyed more than 2,000 miles from his native Australia to violently purge New Zealand of what he deemed to be “outsiders” — Muslim migrants, specifically.

Tarrant pleaded guilty to 51 counts of murder, 40 of attempted murder and one of engaging in an act of terrorism that he livestreamed on Facebook. These terrorist acts, unprecedented in the country’s criminal history, were carried out against Friday worshippers over a period of around 40 minutes at Christchurch’s Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Center.

The killer’s lack of remorse at the sentencing — he declined an opportunity to speak on Wednesday and had previously sacked his appointed defense counsel — was as palpable as his lack of mercy on the day of the slaughter, the judge said.

THENUMBERS

NZ Mosque Shooting

* 51 Counts of murder to which Tarrant pleaded guilty.

* 1% Proportion of Muslims in New Zealand’s population.

* 1961 Year New Zealand abolished death penalty for murder.

* 1997 Mass shooting last occurred in NZ before Christchurch.

“You ignored the pleas of the wounded to be spared,” Mander said, shortly before telling Tarrant to stand for sentencing. “You advanced on them, stood over them and shot them.”

Tarrant’s largely expressionless face showed hints of boredom and, as always, a thinly veiled menace. The full extent of that menace was the major focus of the four-day sentencing hearing during which almost 90 victim impact statements were delivered to the court.

What emerged was that while Tarrant had succeeded in carrying out his deadly attack on the city’s two major Muslim community centers, his efforts inadvertently united not only those targeted but also the wider city of Christchurch and the indeed the entire nation of 5 million people.




A general view of the Al-Noor Mosque ahead of the last day of the sentencing hearing for Brenton Tarrant, the gunman who massacred 51 people during last year's twin mosque attacks, in Christchurch on August 27, 2020. (AFP)

Tarrant’s sentencing brought a wave of shared relief at an infamous chapter starting to come to an end.

“It has been 531 days that (our) community has had to hold a kind of silence,” Tony Green, a local Muslim who worked closely with Al Noor Mosque in the wake of the carnage, told Arab News.

The chance to finally speak had “lifted a great weight,” he said. “Reading the victim impact statements aloud has been empowering.”

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In the lead-up to the testimonies, the prosecution for the first time presented a summary of the events of March 15, 2019.

The court heard that Tarrant self-financed a 15-month spending spree leading up to the carefully planned attacks, stockpiling high-powered weapons, military grade sighting systems and telescopic sights.

He bought more than 7,000 rounds of ammunition, police-style ballistic vests, military-style tactical shirts and a bayonet-style knife along with camouflage clothing and several rifles that he later modified before daubing the weapons with slogans, obscure European symbols and historical dates.

Tarrant’s Subaru vehicle was also packed with four modified petrol containers, which he planned to use to incinerate the mosques.

The prosecution’s summary included detailed descriptions of the killer calmly reloading an AR-15 rifle and pump-action shotgun before returning to check the dead and the dying, shooting many as he went.

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Tarrant also spoke directly into the GoPro camera he had set up pointing toward his face, describing what he preposterously called a “firefight.”

This week, however, others did the speaking.

The range of accents was global. The court heard testimony from survivors who had come to Christchurch from Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and the Palestinian diaspora, along with victims who traced their roots across much of Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, as well as Americans, Brits, Fijians and South Africans.

Most of those who spoke were Muslim, many talking in accents flecked with strong traces of the classic Kiwi twang after their years here. All remained proud to call their newfound country home. This was despite the fact — as one survivor, Azmat Hussain, put it — of having “never imagined this would happen in New Zealand, let alone Christchurch.”




Gamal Fouda (L), the Imam of the Al-Noor mosque and Muslim Association Canterbury President Mohamed Jama (R) leave the High Court. (AFP)

British-born Nathan Smith, a convert who cradled a dying three-year-old boy in his arms on the day, told Tarrant that his only enduring achievement may have been “to create shame for Europeans around the world” and in New Zealand.

“I will never forgive you,” he added.

Sara Qasem, a 25-year-old Palestinian teacher, said New Zealand would always be home, but the home had changed since the murder of her father, one of six Palestinians who died in the massacre. Qasem urged Tarrant to take a final look around the courtroom and ask himself who the real stranger was.

After the sentencing, hundreds of well-wishers gathered outside the courthouse to offer their own answer. Their responses came in celebratory performances of “All You Need is Love,” embraces and tears.

The Christchurch massacre prompted New Zealand to pass stricter gun laws and buy back certain types of weapons from owners. While truly good times here may still be a long way off, the ancient promise of the Canterbury skies is glimmering again, offering hope for this diverse nation’s future.

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David Cohen is a New Zealand-based reporter


US says giving $30 million to back controversial Gaza relief effort

Updated 15 sec ago
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US says giving $30 million to back controversial Gaza relief effort

  • The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is backed by armed US contractors with the Israeli troops on the perimeter
  • Nearly 550 Palestinians have been killed near the fountantion’s aid centers while seeking scarce supplies

WASHINGTON: The United States said Thursday it has approved its first direct funding for a controversial Israeli-supported relief effort in the Gaza Strip and urged other countries to follow suit.
"We have approved funding for $30 million to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. And we call on other countries to also support the GHF, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, and its critical work," State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott told reporters.
Israel starting in March blocked deliveries of food and other crucial supplies into Gaza for more than two months, leading to warnings of famine in the territory widely flattened by Israeli bombing since the massive October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, backed by armed US contractors with the Israeli troops on the perimeter, began operations at the end of May that have been marred by chaotic scenes, deaths and neutrality concerns.
The Gaza health ministry says that since late May, nearly 550 people have been killed near aid centers while seeking scarce supplies.
The GHF has denied that deadly incidents have occurred in the immediate vicinity of its aid points.
Major aid groups and the United Nations have refused to work with the officially private group, saying it violates basic humanitarian principles by coordinating delivery with troops.
Asked about the criticism of the operation, Pigott said that the 46 million meals the group says it has so far distributed are "absolutely incredible" and "should be applauded."
"From day one, we said we are open to creative solutions that securely provide aid to those in Gaza and protects Israel," Pigott said.
The financial support to the GHF is part of President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio's "pursuit of peace in the region," he said.


Members of UK Jewish group to appeal punishments for Gaza war criticisms

Updated 6 min 35 sec ago
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Members of UK Jewish group to appeal punishments for Gaza war criticisms

  • Board of Deputies of British Jews suspended 5 members for 2 years and reprimanded 31 over a letter they signed criticizing Israel’s conduct during the conflict
  • In a new statement, the disciplined members renewed their concerns about the ‘destruction being wrought on Gazan civilians’

LONDON: Dozens of representatives of the main organization representing Jews in the UK are appealing against disciplinary action taken against them after they criticized Israel’s war on Gaza.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews this week sanctioned 36 of its representatives after they signed a letter in April in which they said they could “no longer remain silent” over the loss of life in Gaza. The board suspended five of the deputies for two years and reprimanded the remaining 31 for breaching its code of conduct.

The reprimanded members said on Thursday they would appeal against the decision, and continued to voice concerns about the conflict, The Guardian newspaper reported.

In a group statement, they said they “remain deeply concerned about the remaining hostages, the appalling humanitarian crisis and ongoing war in Gaza and the further deteriorating situation in the West Bank.”

They added that they stand in solidarity with the majority of Israelis who want an immediate end to the war in Gaza, and there was “no justification for the continuing misery and destruction being wrought on Gazan civilians.”

When it announced the punishments on Tuesday, the Board of Deputies said the letter was “neither authorized by the board nor did the signatories share it with the organization before sending to the Financial Times.” It had received various complaints about the letter and the media coverage that followed, it added.

The five signatories suspended for two years were removed from any elected positions they held. They were handed more severe punishments than the others because they had “contributed to the misleading press release,” the board said, and made public statements relating to the letter.

The remaining 31 deputies who signed the letter but did not promote it received a “notice of criticism” and were warned they would face suspension if they were involved in any similar incidents.

One of the five suspended members, Harriett Goldenberg, was vice chair of the board’s international division.

She told The Guardian: “So many Jews in the UK agreed with our sadly groundbreaking letter. We were inundated with thanks from those who said we represented them, and that we were their voice. It is tragic that voice is still needed.”

The Board of Deputies is the largest representative body for Jews in the UK, with 300 deputies who are elected by synagogues and communal organizations.


Argentina to try 10 in absentia over 1994 bombing of Jewish center

Updated 26 June 2025
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Argentina to try 10 in absentia over 1994 bombing of Jewish center

  • Argentina and Israel have long suspected Lebanon’s Shiite Hezbollah group of carrying it out at Iran’s request
  • Judge Daniel Rafecas acknowledged the “exceptional” nature of the decision to send the case to court, over three decades after the bombing and with the suspects all still at large

BUENOS AIRES: Argentina will try in absentia ten Iranian and Lebanese nationals suspected of the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 people, a ruling seen by AFP on Thursday said.

The attack, which caused devastation in Latin America’s biggest Jewish community, has never been claimed or solved, but Argentina and Israel have long suspected Lebanon’s Shiite Hezbollah group of carrying it out at Iran’s request.

Judge Daniel Rafecas acknowledged the “exceptional” nature of the decision to send the case to court, over three decades after the bombing and with the suspects all still at large.

Trying them in absentia, he said, allowed to “at least try to uncover the truth and reconstruct what happened.”

On July 18, 1994, a truck laden with explosives was driven into the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) and detonated.

The deadliest attack in Argentina’s history injured more than 300 people

No-one has ever been arrested over the attack.

The ten suspects facing trial are former Iranian and Lebanese ministers and diplomats for whom Argentina has issued international arrest warrants.

Since 2006 Argentina had sought the arrest of eight Iranians, including then-president Ali Akbar Hashemi Bahramaie Rafsanjani, who died in 2017.

Iran has always denied any involvement and refused to arrest and hand over suspects.

Thursday’s ruling on trying them in absentia is the first of its kind in the South American country.

Until March this year, the country’s laws did not allow for suspects to be tried unless they were physically present.

It comes amid a new push in recent years for justice to be served over the attack, backed by President Javier Milei, a staunch ally of Israel.

Rafecas said a trial in absentia was justified given the “material impossibility of securing the presence of the defendants and the nature of the crime against humanity under investigation.”

In April 2024, an Argentine court blamed Hezbollah for the attack, which it called a “crime against humanity.”

It found that the attack and another on the Israeli embassy in 1992 that killed 29 people were likely triggered by the Argentine government under then-president Carlos Menem canceling three contracts with Iran for the supply of nuclear equipment and technology.

The court did not however manage to produce evidence of Iran’s involvement.

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights in San Jose, Costa Rica last year found the Argentine state responsible for not preventing, nor properly investigating, the attack.

It also blamed the state for efforts to “cover up and obstruct the investigation.”

Former president Cristina Kirchner has been ordered to stand trial over a memorandum she signed with Iran in 2013 to investigate the bombing.

The memorandum, which was later annulled, allowed for suspects to be interrogated in Iran rather than Argentina, leading Kirchner to be accused of conspiring with Tehran in a cover-up.

She has denied the allegations.


Germany scraps funding for sea rescues of migrants

Updated 26 June 2025
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Germany scraps funding for sea rescues of migrants

  • “I don’t think it’s the foreign office’s job to finance this kind of sea rescue,” Wadephul said
  • “We need to be active where the need is greatest“

BERLIN: Germany is cutting financial support for charities that rescue migrants at risk of drowning in the Mediterranean, saying it will redirect resources to addressing conditions in source countries that spur people to leave.

For decades, migrants driven by war and poverty have made perilous crossings to reach Europe’s southern borders, with thousands estimated to die every year in their bid to reach a continent grown increasingly hostile to migration.

“Germany is committed to being humane and will help where people suffer but I don’t think it’s the foreign office’s job to finance this kind of sea rescue,” Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told a news conference.

“We need to be active where the need is greatest,” he added, mentioning the humanitarian emergency in war-shattered Sudan.

Under the previous left-leaning government, Germany began paying around 2 million euros ($2.34 million) annually to non-governmental organizations carrying out rescues of migrant-laden boats in trouble at sea.

For them, it has been a key source of funds: Germany’s Sea-Eye, which said rescue charities have saved 175,000 lives since 2015, received around 10 percent of its total income of around 3.2 million euros from the German government.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives won February’s national election after a campaign promising to curb irregular migration, which some voters in Europe’s largest economy see as being out of control.

Even though the overall numbers have been falling for several years, many Germans blame migration-related fears for the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), now the second largest party in parliament.

Many experts say that migration levels are mainly driven by economic and humanitarian emergencies in the source countries, with the official cold shoulder in destination countries having had little impact in deterring migrants.

Despite this, German officials suggest that sea rescues only incentivise people to risk the sometimes deadly crossings.

“The (government) support made possible extra missions and very concretely saved lives,” said Gorden Isler, Sea-Eye’s chairperson. “We might now have to stay in harbor despite emergencies.”

The opposition Greens, who controlled the foreign office when the subsidies were introduced, criticized the move.

“This will exacerbate the humanitarian crisis and deepen human suffering,” said joint floor leader Britta Hasselmann.


Mass shooting in gang-plagued Mexican state leaves 12 dead and more injured

Updated 26 June 2025
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Mass shooting in gang-plagued Mexican state leaves 12 dead and more injured

  • The attorney general’s office in Guanajuato said some 20 others were hospitalized
  • Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the victims included children

MEXICO CITY: At least 12 people were killed, including a teenager, and more wounded in a Tuesday night shooting in the central Mexican city of Irapuato, authorities said on Wednesday.

The attorney general’s office in Guanajuato, the violence-plagued state where Irapuato is located, said some 20 others were hospitalized with gunshot wounds.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said earlier on Wednesday that the victims included children, although the attorney general’s office later confirmed only one casualty was a minor, aged 17.

“It is very unfortunate what happened. An investigation is under way,” Sheinbaum said.

Local media reported the shooting happened during an evening party celebrating a Catholic holiday, the Nativity of John the Baptist.

A video circulating on social media showed people dancing in the patio of a housing complex while a band played in the background, before gunfire erupted. Reuters was not immediately able to verify the video.

Guanajuato has been for many years one of the most violent regions in the country.

On Tuesday, five other people were killed in other parts of the state, according to the attorney general’s office.