Zaniar Matapour convicted on ‘terrorism’ and homicide fees after assault that killed two folks and wounded 9.
A court docket in Oslo has discovered an Iranian-born Norwegian man responsible of an assault throughout Pleasure celebrations within the Norwegian capital in 2022 and sentenced him to 30 years in jail.
Two folks had been killed and 9 had been critically wounded within the centre of Oslo, on June 25, 2022, within the shootings at three areas, together with the London Pub, a hub of the native LGBTQ scene.
The Oslo District Courtroom stated on Thursday that Zaniar Matapour, 45, fired 10 rounds with a machinegun and eight pictures with a handgun into the group.
“The assault undoubtedly focused homosexual folks,” the court docket stated in its verdict. “The objective was each to kill as many homosexual folks as attainable and to instill concern in LGBTQ folks extra broadly.”
Prosecutors stated Matapour, who police stated has a historical past of psychological sickness, had sworn allegiance to the ISIS (ISIL) group.
He stood trial on fees of committing an “aggravated act of terrorism” and homicide. His 30-year sentence was the very best penalty in Norway since terrorism laws was modified in 2015.
Through the trial, each the prosecution and the defence agreed that Matapour had shot right into a crowd and there was no disagreement that the capturing was “terror-motivated”.
His jail time period may very well be prolonged indefinitely if he’s deemed to proceed to pose a risk to society, in accordance with Norwegian media stories.
Nonetheless, Matapour’s lawyer, Marius Dietrichson, had sought an acquittal, saying his shopper had been provoked to hold out the assault by a Danish intelligence agent who was pretending to be a high-ranking member of ISIL.
The capturing shocked Norway, which has a comparatively low crime fee however has skilled so-called lone wolf assaults in current a long time.
“It is a large aid,” the pinnacle of the assist group for survivors and victims’ family members, Espen Evjenth, instructed public broadcaster NRK.
The decision comes days after the annual Oslo Pleasure Parade, which paid tribute to the victims of the capturing. An estimated 70,000 revellers marched on this yr’s occasion.