Man Accused of Threatening to Kill Over Messages About Christchurch Mosques

A man has been accused of threatening to kill over messages posted online about the mosque attack ahead of the anniversary of the Christchurch terror attack.

The 27-year-old is due to appear in Christchurch District Court tomorrow.

Canterbury District Commander Superintendent John Price said police arrested two people today following threats made on the 4chan website about Christchurch mosques. The other man was released tonight without charge.

Price said he understood that the message had been removed from 4chan.

“I just want to insist that we take these matters very seriously and we are also working very closely with our Muslim community,” he said.

“Any threat made to our community and our people is a threat to our society and will not be tolerated.”

He said the Muslim community was spoken to “fairly soon” after police learned of the threats.

Fifty-one people were killed and another 40 wounded at the Al Noor and Linwood mosques on March 15, 2019, in the worst terrorist attack in New Zealand history.

“Any hate messages or people who want to cause harm in our community will be held accountable,” Price said.

Police were notified through a member of the public who showed up a couple of days ago, he said.

He said an “intensive investigation” was carried out between the time the information came in and today’s arrests.

“We had a dedicated full-time team working on that from a technical perspective and a research perspective.”

The only charge the man is facing at this time is a death threat, but Price anticipates that more charges will be considered.

Price could not comment on the nature of the threat.

He said the threat was credible enough for police to act immediately.

“It is very concerning for me and New Zealanders as a whole. Most New Zealanders respect peace. Most New Zealanders want us to be united and respect New Zealand’s diversity. Any threat, anyone who wants to oppose that, It is not New Zealand style.

He said police are not looking at anyone else regarding the matter.

Canterbury Muslim Association spokesman Abdigani Ali thanked the police for identifying the threat and acting promptly while “working in collaboration with Muslim leaders in Christchurch.”

“There is no place for hateful rhetoric and hate crimes in our country and every community, regardless of race or beliefs, must have a sense of security and belonging.”

Police raided the property in the Christchurch suburb of St Albans today. Officers could be seen removing computer equipment from the property and loading it into police vehicles.

The second anniversary of the attack on the mosque is approaching later this month.

On the police response at the commemorative event, Price said there will be visible personnel in mosques and in the broader context of the event and police “out of the house” on the streets.

Brenton Tarrant, 30, admitted to killing 51 men, women and children in two mosques. He also admitted 40 counts of attempted murder related to the two attacks and pleaded guilty to one count of participation in a terrorist act set out in the Suppression of Terrorism Act of 2002.

He was sentenced last year to life in prison without parole.