Survivors of Christchurch attacks react to sentencing

A court in New Zealand sentenced a self-confessed white supremacist who killed 51 Muslims as they prayed at two mosques in Christchurch to life in prison without parole, the first time such a sentence has been handed down in the country.

Brenton Tarrant, a 29-year-old Australian, pleaded guilty earlier this year to 51 charges of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and one charge of committing a terrorist act during the March 2019 rampage in the southern city, which he livestreamed on Facebook.

This is the first time such a sentence has ever been imposed in New Zealand.

New Zealand’s prime minister welcomed the sentence.

“The trauma of March 15 is not easily healed, but today I hope is the last where we have any cause to hear or utter the name of the terrorist behind it,” said Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s Prime Minister. “His deserves to be a lifetime of complete and utter silence.”

Survivors and families of victims of the Christchurch mosque attacks have been reacting.

“Today I realised that I’ve made the best decision in my life to come to New Zealand, for the justice served in regards to this issue,” said Abdul Alabi Lateef, imam of the Linwood Mosque.

This video was produced and edited by Al Jazeera NewsFeed’s Hassan Ghani.