"A white supremacist who killed 51 worshippers at two mosques in New Zealand has launched an appeal against his conviction and life sentence. Branton Tarrant told an appeals court on Monday that he felt forced to admit to the crimes during this trial because of "irrationality" due to the conditions of his detention. Tarrant said his mental health had deteriorated due to conditions in prison. He was held in solitary confinement, he said, with limited reading material or contact with other prisoners."
"Tarrant was convicted of 51 charges of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and one charge of committing a terrorist act. He is serving a life sentence in prison without parole. It was the first time a New Zealand court had sentenced someone to life behind bars. Tarrant, an Australian citizen, missed the formal time period to appeal, so he now needs the court's approval to proceed."
"A self-declared white supremacist, Tarrant stormed the mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand's second largest city, in March 2019. He was armed with military-style semi-automatics, indiscriminately shooting at Muslims gathered for Friday prayers, livestreaming the killings on Facebook."
Branton Tarrant stormed two mosques in Christchurch in March 2019, killing 51 worshippers and injuring others while livestreaming the attack. He admitted to charges including 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and one count of committing a terrorist act, and received a life sentence without parole. Tarrant now seeks to appeal his conviction and sentence, arguing that harsh detention conditions and solitary confinement caused mental deterioration and 'irrationality' that forced his guilty plea. He missed the formal appeal period and requires court permission to proceed. A three-judge Court of Appeal is hearing the case over five days.
Read at www.dw.com
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