COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A radical Norwegian Islamist suspected of complicity in the deadly shooting at an LGBTQ+ festival in Oslo two years ago has been expelled from Pakistan and is on his way to Norway, the Scandinavian country’s government said on Friday with.
Two people were killed and nine seriously injured in the shooting at three locations, mainly outside the London Pub, a popular gay bar in Oslo’s nightlife district, on June 25, 2022.
Arfan Bhatti, who is due to land in Oslo later on Friday, is said to have posted statements about killing gay people online, according to Norwegian media.
Bhatti knew Zaniar Matapour, the main suspect in the attack, which Norway’s police security service has described as an “Islamist terrorist attack.” Matapour has been on trial in Oslo since March over the shooting and is accused of terrorism.
Bhatti, a Norwegian citizen who was born in Oslo to Pakistani immigrants and has a history in criminal gangs, was for years a leading figure in radical Islamic circles in Norway and was best known as a leading figure in an Islamic State-affiliated group in the country.
The 46-year-old will not be in Norway in 2022, but probably in Pakistan, said Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl. His role in the 2022 shooting was unclear and Norwegian police said that upon Bhatti’s return to Norway, they “want to continue the extensive investigation to shed light on the question of what involvement Bhatti may have had in the attack.”
“No matter where in the world someone is, they should know that the Norwegian authorities are doing everything they can to bring them to Norway,” Enger Mehl said at a news conference.
Norwegian police said that although there was no extradition treaty with Pakistan, Pakistani authorities had made it possible to “complete the investigation into the terror case.”
Bhatti will be arrested upon his arrival in Norway and will face a custody hearing at the weekend, police said.
Bhatti could be called as a witness in the Oslo District Court trial against Matapour. Bhatti’s attorney, John Christian Elden, said his client had nothing to do with the 2022 shooting.
“The judiciary must decide whether he is guilty,” said Enger Mehl.
Matapour, a Norwegian citizen originally from Iran, is said to have fired 10 shots from a machine gun and eight shots from a handgun into a crowd before being arrested by bystanders. After the attack, a Pride parade was canceled as police said they could not guarantee security.
Matapour, who had sworn allegiance to the Islamic State group, refused to speak to investigators. If found guilty, he faces 30 years in prison.