WELLINGTON (Reuters) – The mass murderer who killed 51 people in New Zealand in 2019 has launched a legal challenge to investigate a review of his prison conditions and his status as a “terrorist unit”.
White supreme Brenton Tarrant was sentenced to life in prison in August for the murder of 51 people and attempted murder of 40 others at two mosques in Christchurch on March 15, 2019, the worst mass shooting in the country’s history.
Tarrant, an Australian citizen, is the only person in New Zealand who has terrorist status.
A judicial review will be held in the High Court in Auckland on Thursday to clarify the issues Tarrant wants to raise, the court in New Zealand said.
Preliminary information provided to court officials indicates that Tarrant wants the court to review decisions of the Department of Corrections on his prison conditions, and also that he is being considered a “terrorist entity” under the Terrorism Suppression Act word.
The trial has no bearing on the outcome of the criminal case against Tarrant or his conviction and sentence, the court said.
According to court records, Tarrant will represent himself.
Victims’ families and the surviving community were notified of the trial on Wednesday. It is not open to the public, but the media is allowed to attend.
Reporting by Praveen Menon; Edited by Lincoln Feast.