Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki is celebrating his new-found freedom after his 24-hour home curfew was dropped today.
"This morning I received the news, I am FREE after 78 days a political prisoner. I am no longer under a 24/7 home curfew," Tamaki posted on Facebook.
He also shared a photo with his wife Hannah who he said he been "an absolute legend throughout this season".
Hannah shared the news in a livestream, saying both she and another Destiny Church member, Kaleb Cave, had also had some of their bail restrictions lifted which meant they could now go back to the Auckland Domain.
The Tamakis were celebrating their freedom by sharing a snack with other pastors and elders from the church who just happened to be at their property for a meeting when they got the news.
The couple had some church meetings planned today and would have church at their South Auckland headquarters on Sunday before heading to Destiny Church in Hamilton on Sunday night. The lifting of her husband's home curfew meant they would no longer have to host meetings at their house, Hannah said.
"We are celebrating the wonderful, wonderful liberties that Christ has set us free. Well in actual fact today the judge set us fee today - so that's really cool," Hannah said on a Facebook livestream.
Hannah said they also planned to hold an evening BBQ down at the Domain at some point with all the people that gathered to celebrate all kinds of freedoms.
"It has been a journey, but every journey, every battle, every opportunity you get to stand in your faith and your conviction and true to you is a great one."
When she asked Brian what it was like be a free man, he said: "About time ... watch out we are loose now."
Last week, Justice Mathew Downs issued his decision around altering Brian Tamaki's bail conditions so he could go on holiday, agreeing with defence counsel Ron Mansfield, QC, that circumstances in New Zealand had "changed fundamentally" and the chance of Tamaki violating bail by attending an illegal gathering while on holiday was no longer an issue given gatherings were allowed.
Brian Tamaki, 64, has been in legal trouble multiple times since October when he was first accused of attending and helping to organise an anti-lockdown protest at Auckland Domain in violation of Covid-19 restrictions at the time.
Hannah and two other prominent Destiny Church members including Cave also faces charges around violating lockdowns.