Christchurch Survivors Alarmed as Mosque Terrorist Allowed to Speak in Court
Imam Gamal Fouda said the ruling forces survivors and victims’ families to again face the man who killed 51 worshippers and injured dozens more at two mosques in Christchurch.
He said that “after all the lives he shattered, after the rivers of blood and tears,” New Zealand would now have to see and hear him again, The New Zealand Herald reported on Friday.
Fouda was delivering Friday prayers at Masjid Al Noor on March 15, 2019, when Brenton Tarrant opened fire, killing 44 members of his congregation before attacking Linwood Mosque, where another seven were murdered and 41 others wounded.
The inquiry — the largest coronial investigation in New Zealand history — is examining the events surrounding the attack, including firearms regulations and how the terrorist obtained his weapons.
Its first phase ran through 2023 and 2024. The second phase began in October 2024 but was paused after survivors objected to Tarrant being called as a witness.
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This week, Justice Jonathan Eaton dismissed a judicial review seeking to block Tarrant’s appearance, upholding the decision of Deputy Chief Coroner Brigitte Windley. She ruled that the gunman could be questioned and cross-examined on matters related to firearms law.
In his judgment, Justice Eaton said Parliament had given coroners “broad discretion” over evidence, particularly in inquiries involving “such horrific offending, so many deaths and such great public interest.”
Tarrant had signaled a willingness to provide direct evidence regarding New Zealand’s firearm register. Opponents argued that allowing him to speak risked giving him a platform to influence extremists and questioned whether his evidence would add anything beyond what was established by the Royal Commission of Inquiry. They also raised concerns about costs and the potential trauma for survivors.
Fouda said the outcome revives “memories I struggle to relive,” and that the idea of the attacker appearing, “even if only on a screen,” is deeply painful.
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He questioned how someone who showed “no mercy, no humanity” could now be granted a voice when his victims “could no longer speak for themselves.”
The court’s decision means the next phase of the inquest will proceed with Tarrant’s testimony. Fouda urged New Zealanders of all backgrounds to remain united and to ensure “love, peace, and unity will always triumph over hate.”
Source: Agencies
