Brenton Tarrant, the mass-shooting suspect accused of killing dozens of people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, had his mail privileges suspended Wednesday after a letter he wrote from prison surfaced online.

“I acknowledge that this letter should not have been able to be sent,” said Christine Stevenson, the chief executive of the New Zealand Department of Corrections.

“With immediate effect, this prisoner will not be able to send or receive any mail until we have absolute assurance that the process in place for screening and assessing his correspondence upholds the safety of the public, both in New Zealand and internationally,” Ms. Stevenson said in a statement, regional media reported.

Dated July 4 and addressed to “Alan,” images of the six-page handwritten letter were uploaded this week to 4chan, a website that hosts a series of message boards that allows users to post anonymously.

“I think every New Zealander would have an expectation that this individual should not be able to share his hateful message from behind bars,” responded Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

“Obviously, this is an offender who has a very specific goal in mind, in terms of sharing his propaganda, so we should have been prepared for that,” Ms. Ardern said, according to news reports.

A 28-year-old Australian, the suspected shooter has been charged with killing 51 people during a March 15 rampage that was partially broadcast live on Facebook. He has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.

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