© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A worker walks in front of the London Pub, a gay bar that was the site of a mass shooting in 2022, in Oslo, Norway, June 8, 2023. REUTERS/Gwladys Fouche/ File photo
OSLO (Reuters) -The man accused of conducting a deadly shooting rampage at a gay bar in Oslo in 2022 during the city’s annual Pride celebrations declared himself not guilty as his trial began on Tuesday.
Two people died, nine suffered gunshot wounds and 25 others were injured after the shooting at the London Pub, a longstanding hub of Oslo’s LGBTQ+ scene, as well as a nearby bar in the centre of the Norwegian capital.
Zaniar Matapour, a 44-year-old, Iranian-born Norwegian citizen, described by police as a radicalised Islamist with a history of mental illness, is standing trial on charges of committing gross terrorism and murder.
He was apprehended by revellers near the scene within minutes of the attack but declined to speak during police interrogations.
According to his lawyer, Matapour has indicated that he will not testify during the trial. Asked by the judge whether he was guilty as charged, Matapour shook his head and said “no”.
Wearing a knitted white cap and with a greying beard, he asked the judge why the trial was conducted during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, when the court was out of session for Jewish and Christian holidays such as Saturdays, Sundays and Easter.
“I’ve not perceived a conflict between the conduct of this trial and Ramadan,” Oslo District Court Judge Eirik Aas replied.
According to the charges against him, Matapour started shooting at about 1:13 a.m. (0013 GMT), some 50 minutes after swearing allegiance to the Islamic State.
He fired two weapons at people inside and outside the venues, including some who tried to hide or run away, according to the charges.
“This attack was directed at random people who were out enjoying the summer night in central Oslo,” Prosecutor Sturla Henriksboe told the court in his opening remarks.
If found guilty, he could serve a prison sentence of up to 30 years. He could also be detained indefinitely, if he is deemed to pose a continuing risk to society.
But the court must also determine whether he was sane at the time of the attack, or suffering from mental disorders so severe that he could not be held criminally responsible. In the latter case, he would be likely to be detained in a psychiatric facility.
An independent inquiry into the authorities’ response concluded in 2023 that police could have prevented the attack had they acted on a tip-off from a foreign intelligence agency.
The trial is scheduled to run until mid-May.
