Counterspin hails $400 court fine result in long-running Christchurch footage fight

A three-year legal battle described as targeted lawfare against Counterspin Media has taken a dramatic turn, with co-defendant Justin Keen walking out of court on Friday with a $400 fine plus costs — a result supporters say exposes the weakness of the Crown’s case and the official coverup.

Keen, along with Counterspin Media founders Kelvyn Alp and Hannah Spierer were raided by police on 25 August 2022, with more than $70,000 of broadcasting equipment and up to 40 terabytes of data seized and held for years on “objectionable material” charges relating to the distribution of alleged footage from the Christchurch Mosque attack.

Counterspin say the prosecution originally pushed for penalties of up to 10 years’ imprisonment before retreating to lesser charges carrying a maximum fine of just $2,000. Keen has reportedly spent “north of six figures” on his legal defence costs.

They attribute the shift to defence challenges over the validity of the original search warrant and describe the outcome as a major blow to a politically motivated attempt to cripple the platform and suppress crucial information relating to the attack that would shake the foundations of the media and government narrative surrounding it. A recently released expert analysis concluded the footage was fake.

In a hard-hitting video released yesterday, Alp says the reduced penalty confirms their long-standing claim that the case was built on “flimsy foundations” and was never capable of withstanding scrutiny.

He argues the raids and prolonged court delays were designed to obstruct Counterspin’s operations and silence those questioning the official Christchurch narrative.

While celebrating Keen’s result, Alp stressed that the fight continues, with the remaining two defendants — himself and co-host Hannah Spierer — due back in court on 26 February 2026.

Alp accused both mainstream and alternative media of ignoring or dismissing evidence he says is crucial, and that Keen’s outcome was the first meaningful breakthrough in a broader push for transparency over the Christchurch event.

“Through three years of hell and a defense bill heading north of six figures for Justin Keen alone, before the Crown was finally forced to back down and accept a plea that exposes the entire prosecution as the sham it always was”, said Alp.

“Meanwhile, the case against myself and Hannah continues. We have never wavered from our position that the official narrative of the Christchurch event is false – a position now backed by hard evidence proving that the banned footage is fabricated – yes fabricated -it’s fake.

“The implications are explosive. Elements within officialdom appear willing to stage, manipulate and weaponise a tragedy to silence dissent and push through draconian firearms and censorship laws.”