New Zealand had been trying for years to expel the Sri Lankan jihadist responsible for a knife attack at a supermarket on Friday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern revealed on Saturday (September 4th), saying her “Frustration”.
His refugee status had been revoked on suspicion of false allegations of threats to his life in Sri Lanka. An expulsion notice had even been issued against him in April 2019. But since the legal process dragged on, this Tamil Muslim challenging in court the revocation of his refugee status, arguing that he risked “To be arrested and tortured” if New Zealand sent him back to Sri Lanka.
And attempts to convict him under the anti-terrorism law had all failed, the premier told a press conference.
Changes to anti-terrorism legislation
Arrived in New Zealand on a student visa in 2011, this Sri Lankan had succeeded in obtaining refugee status two years later. But he caught the attention of the police in 2016 after expressing his sympathy for jihadist attacks on Facebook.
The man was then monitored for five years and imprisoned for three years, after his arrest at Auckland airport, the police suspecting him of preparing to join Syria. A search in his home had led to the discovery of a hunting knife and “ISIS propaganda materials”, according to court documents.
He was finally released in July and has been under police surveillance since. “All possibilities of continuing his detention had been exhausted”, lamented Mme Ardern at his press conference, adding that changes to anti-terrorism legislation are expected to be approved by parliament before the end of the month.
Sri Lanka makes itself available to cooperate with the investigation
On Friday, the 32-year-old Sri Lankan took a knife from an Auckland supermarket and attacked seven people, three of whom were seriously injured, before being shot dead by the police in charge of his surveillance.
According to Police Commissioner Andrew Coster, there was nothing unusual about the man’s behavior before the attack and he appeared to shop normally. He added that the police had kept their distance because the man had a “High level of paranoia” regarding his surveillance, and that it had taken more than two minutes to reach and shoot him after he started frantically stabbing the clients.
“We had no legal reason to keep him in detention. The follow-up of its actions was entirely dependent on the ability of the surveillance teams to maintain their coverage as they observed it over a long period ”, said Coster.
For its part, Sri Lanka has indicated its readiness to cooperate with the investigation. “Sri Lanka condemns this senseless violence and stands ready to cooperate with the New Zealand authorities in any way necessary”Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry spokesman Kohularangan Ratnasingam said on Saturday, praising the speed of the police response.
Sri Lankan police sources said investigators had already questioned the assailant’s brother, who lives in Colombo. “We are collecting information about him and all the people who might have been in contact with him”, explained one of these sources, specifying that there was no trace of a recent visit to Sri Lanka of the man shot in New Zealand.