By Recep Sakar

MELBOURNE (AA): The man accused of carrying out last month’s terrorist attacks on two New Zealand mosques appeared Friday for a hearing at the Christchurch High Court.

A 3-year-old, three schoolboys and several pensioners were among fifty Muslims slaughtered in a far-right terror attack on two mosques during Friday prayers, in New Zealand on March 15.

The suspect, Australian-born Brenton Tarrant, appeared via video link from Auckland’s Paremoremo Prison, New Zealand’s only maximum-security prison.

Tarrant, 28, was charged with 50 counts of murder and 39 counts of attempted murder.

Justice Cameron Mander ordered that Tarrant undergo two mental health assessments to determine whether he is fit to stand trial.

Mander said the tests are a normal step and there is no other reason behind them.

He will be remanded in custody until the next hearing on June 14.

Fifty other people were injured in the terrorist mass shootings at Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre in Christchurch, during Friday prayers. The horrific attacks which were live streamed on Facebook by the terrorist began at the Al Noor Mosque in the suburb of Riccarton at 1:40 pm and continued at the Linwood Islamic Centre at about 1:55 pm.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar

http://muslimnews.co.uk/newspaper/top-stories/34991-2/

http://muslimnews.co.uk/newspaper/terrorism/crusading-islamophobia-breivik-brenton/

http://muslimnews.co.uk/newspaper/editorials/islamophobia-fuelling-terrorist-attacks/

Additional report by The Muslim News

[Image: Artwork of Pat Campbell/The-Canberra Times]