He shot believers and broadcast it live, now he is asking for a new punishment

Former lawyers for Brenton Tarrant, who killed 51 Muslim worshippers in New Zealand in 2019, testified in court in Wellington on Tuesday. According to them, during the original trial, they observed signs of anxiety in him, but he did not appear to be suffering from depression.

The 35-year-old Australian citizen is seeking to have his conviction overturned and a new trial. On Monday, he said via video call that harsh conditions in custody had negatively affected his mental health at the time he pleaded guilty.

Tarrant carried out the attack during Friday prayers at two mosques in Christchurch. He used semi-automatic weapons and broadcast the shooting live on social media.

His lawyers at the time, Jonathan Hudson and Shane Tait, said the perpetrator complained about his treatment in prison, including being shackled and wearing "suicide clothing." However, they also noted that he had adapted to the situation after about a month. Hudson added that mental health experts' assessments did not show any problems with Tarrant's ability to stand trial.

In 2020, Tarrant pleaded guilty to 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder, and one count of terrorism. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole, the first such sentence in New Zealand's history.

(reuters, max)