Christchurch mosque shooting: Fisherman guilty of possessing video 'disagrees with Govt censorship'

Five people appeared at Christchurch District Court today charged over the mosque shooting video.

A Christchurch fisherman shared a March 15 mosque shooting video and downloaded the alleged gunman's manifesto in the days after attack, it can be revealed today.

The 22-year-old has been in custody since late March after being arrested by police involved in Operation Deans.

Today, the man, who has interim name suppression, appeared at Christchurch District Court along with four other men charged over the mosque attack footage.

The fisherman was sent an electronic copy of the objectionable video between March 15 – the day of the shootings at two Christchurch mosques which claimed 51 lives - and March 28.

He saved the video in a file labelled "main event", the court heard today.

At 1am on March 18, the man shared the video via Facebook Messenger "to a known associate".

He also downloaded a copy of the so-called "manifesto" and saved it on his mobile phone.

When spoken to by police, the man admitted possessing the banned items, explaining to officers: "I do not agree with the Government's censorship."

He added: "I believe that under the New Zealand's [sic] Bill of Rights Act, I have the right to have it on me and to review it and make my own decision on the content of it."

Judge Stephen O'Driscoll remanded the man in custody to be sentenced on two charges of possessing objectionable publications tomorrow.

Meanwhile, a 19-year-old Christchurch man denies charges of possessing a livestream video of the Masjid Al Noor shooting and making an objectionable publication namely showing a photograph of the Deans Ave mosque with the message, "target acquired", along with further chat messaging around "inciting extreme violence".

The teen, who also has interim name suppression, was remanded on electronically-monitored bail to a pre-trial callover on November 22.

On the same day, two others – aged 17 and 22 - charged with possessing the shooting video and knowing it to be objectionable will also appear.

A 42-year-old Christchurch man also charged with possession of the objectionable video will be back in court on September 25.