Threats at Christchurch mosque: man facing accusations struggles to keep his name a secret

A man who denies having threatened a car bomb at two Christchurch mosques on the anniversary of the March 15 terror attack is fighting to keep his name a secret.

The 27-year-old, who has provisional name deletion, was charged with threatening to kill people in the Al Noor and Linwood mosques just before the second anniversary of the terrorist attack that killed 51 people in the city’s two mosques on March, 15th. , 2019.

After being arrested and charged, he appeared in Christchurch District Court on March 5, where he was granted provisional name suppression.

The New Zealand media, including NZME, have filed a request challenging the suppression order.

Last week, the man pleaded not guilty to all charges and chose to stand trial by a jury. He will return to court on April 15 for a case review hearing.

His attorney Anselm Williams advocates the continuation of the provisional removal of the name.

This afternoon a hearing was held to argue the case of repression in Christchurch, and lawyer Robert Stewart appeared before the media.

After legal discussions, Judge Alistair Garland ruled that the provisional removal of names should remain in place for now.

It will continue until July 9, when the case will be heard again, allowing time for the man’s attorney to obtain more information.

Judge Garland noted that the media’s position to challenge future crackdown remains in place.

The prosecution documents allege that the man made the threats online on February 28. The charge carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison.

Last week, it was revealed that he faces seven new charges, alleging that he delivered an objectionable publication, namely the Brenton Tarrant manifesto, to another person five times on February 21, 2021, and again on February 26 and February 2. of March. a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison, with the prohibition of the manifesto after the attacks.

Since the man’s arrest, which followed public notices, police and spy agencies have been criticized for failing to detect the threats themselves.

But all have responded by saying that the job is too big to manage alone, and that the public plays an important role in helping alert them to threats, so they can assess the information and react appropriately.

The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the March 15, 2019 terror attack criticized security agencies for having previously deployed “an inappropriate concentration of resources” to investigate Islamic extremism, while white supremacy had been seen as only a marginal threat. .

The result was that SIS Director General Rebecca Kitteridge apologized to the Muslim community and emphasized that “important areas” needed change.

Also in the wake of the attacks, the police launched a specialized unit that uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to track New Zealanders’ Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and other social media channels, as well as online platforms such as 4chan.