Brenton Tarrant, the white supremacist who shot 50 Muslims at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand has been charged with terrorism apart from charges of murder, attempted murder among others. “The charge will allege that a terrorist act was carried out in Christchurch,” police said in a statement. The charge comes with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has characterised the mosque killings as “a well-planned terrorist attack” since the day Tarrant, carried them out. But until now the charges against him were less expansive, as New Zealand's Terrorism Suppression Act was only introduced in 2002 and is untested in the courts. Tarrant ahead of the shooting, posted a rambling manifesto on social media in which he identified himself by name and described himself as a white supremacist.
Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian, is currently in a high-security prison undergoing tests to determine if he is mentally fit to stand trial. His next court appearance is scheduled for June 14.
