An Oslo court finds Arfan Bhatti guilty of orchestrating the 2022 Pride shooting, sentencing him to 30 years in prison for aggravated terrorism.
OSLO: A Norwegian court has found an Islamist man guilty of orchestrating a deadly shooting during Oslo’s 2022 Pride celebrations.
Arfan Bhatti, a 48-year-old Norwegian citizen, was sentenced to the maximum 30 years in prison for complicity in aggravated terrorism.
The court ruled he planned the attack despite being in Pakistan at the time of the shooting.
Two people were killed and eight wounded when a gunman opened fire at the London Pub, a popular LGBTQ+ venue.
Dozens more suffered injuries in the ensuing chaos.
The gunman, Zaniar Matapour, was convicted of murder and terrorism in July 2024 and also received a 30-year sentence.
Bhatti was extradited to Norway in 2024 and has remained in custody.
“Bhatti has appealed the judgment forthwith and maintains that he has had no involvement whatsoever with the shooting,” his lawyers said in a statement.
A 2023 independent inquiry found police could have prevented the attack with better action on a foreign intelligence tip-off.
Two forensic experts testified that Bhatti has a severe dissocial personality disorder and meets psychopathy criteria.
The experts determined he remains criminally responsible for his actions. – Reuters
