Lawyer says New Zealand mosque gunman can appeal conviction and life imprisonment

The gunman who killed 51 believers in two mosques in Christchurch, new Zealand, His lawyer said on Monday that he is considering appeals against his conviction and imprisonment.

Australian lawyer Tony Ellis wrote in a memo to the chief coroner that the Australian Brenton Tarrant received inhuman and degrading treatment in prison, prompting him to plead guilty under duress.

White supremacist Tarrant broadcasted the 2019 attack live on Facebook. This is the worst atrocities in New Zealand’s modern history, prompting legislators to quickly ban the deadliest semi-automatic weapons.

Last year, before his trial began, Tarrant admitted to all charges, including 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder, and one count of terrorism. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole, which is the most severe sentence in New Zealand.

On Monday, the lawyer’s memo was not immediately released. Ellis said the gunman had authorized him to discuss the case only with two local media outlets, RNZ and Stuff.

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The coroner’s office did not immediately issue a copy of the memo, but instead forwarded the request back to Ellis. But the coroner’s office did not dispute the existence of the memorandum or the media’s description.

RNZ reported that Ellis advised his client to appeal his sentence and conviction on the grounds that his rights were violated, and Tarrant is considering such an appeal.

Ellis said the gunman was held in solitary confinement for most of the time he was awaiting trial and was unable to properly access lawyers, information and documents related to his case.

According to the RNZ report, the gunman told his lawyer that his treatment in prison affected his “willingness to continue” and decided that the easiest way out was to plead guilty.

The memo was released after the office of Chief Coroner Deborah Marshall (Deborah Marshall) opened an investigation into the victim’s death last month. It is the latest in a series of investigations into the attack.

Rosemary Omar’s 24-year-old son, Tariq, was shot and killed at Al Noor Mosque. She told RNZ that the gunman’s statement was merely that he sought further attention.