Two arrested in Christchurch over threat against mosques attacked in 2019
Sydney, Australia, Mar 4 (efe-epa).- Two people were arrested Thursday following an online threat made earlier in the week against the two mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch that were the targets of a terror attack almost two years ago.
On Mar. 15, 2019, Australian man Brenton Tarrant opened fire at Al-Noor and Linwood mosques, killing 51 people and injuring 40.
The New Zealand Police said in a statement that they have not yet brought charges against the two arrested and that they will not be providing details about the nature of the threat while inquiries continue.
“We take all threats of this nature seriously and are working closely with our Muslim community,” said Superintendent John Price of Canterbury district, which includes the city of Christchurch.
“Any messages of hate or people wanting to cause harm in our community will not be tolerated.”
In December the government acknowledged failings in the lead-up to the attack following the presentation of a comprehensive report by a royal commission into the massacres.
The report said that the authorities were focused “almost exclusively” on Islamic terrorism as white supremacist Tarrant, sentenced in August last year to life in prison without parole, had time to prepare the attack with semi-automatic weapons, which he live-streamed on social media. EFE-EPA
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