The accused in the Christchurch mosque attacks in New Zealand will be charged with 50 murder charges and 39 attempted murder charges when he appears in the court on Friday, Reuters reported, quoting the police. There is no confirmation about charging the accused under the country’s terrorism laws.
Fifty people, including five Indians, were killed and many others injured as they attended Friday prayers at two mosques on March 15. The gunman was armed with semi-automatic weapons and broadcast his attack live on Facebook.
A suspected white Australian supremacist, 28-year-old Brenton Tarrant, had appeared in court a day after the March 15 attacks on two mosques in Christchurch and was charged with one murder.
Meanwhile, the High Court in Christchurch received 12 applications from New Zealand media and foreign organisations to film or make audio recordings at the Friday’s hearing, the New Zealand Herald reported. However, Judge Cameron Mander has declined the requests, saying this was done to preserve the integrity of the trial process and ensure a fair trial.
“The principal purpose of the call on 5 April will be to ascertain the defendant’s position regarding legal representation and to receive information from the Crown regarding certain procedural steps and when it is envisaged those steps will be completed,” Mander said, according to Reuters.
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