This is the letter Arfan Bhatti wrote to the Norwegian authorities – NRK Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country

Last night, the well-known Islamist Arfan Bhatti was extradited from Pakistan to Norway.

It has been “very important” for the government and the Norwegian authorities to have Bhatti extradited, said Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp) in a press conference.

– When we have now succeeded, it can give us more answers to the terrible thing that happened on the night of 25 June, said the Minister of Justice.

But in a neatly handwritten letter, which NRK has read, Bhatti explains in detail why he does not want to be questioned in the case against Zaniar Matapour.

Bhatti is himself charged with complicity in aggravated terrorism, which carries a penalty of 30 years.

Demand access in exchange for questioning

“Reason why I don’t want to be interviewed.”

This is how the letter written by the 46-year-old accused of terrorism begins.

Bhatti wrote the letter in connection with the fact that Norwegian police and prosecutors were in Pakistan in January and tried to question him.

As far as NRK is aware, the prosecution has announced that they will use the letter and the information from the interrogation attempts as evidence in the trial against Matapour.

In that case, it will happen when Bhatti is presented as a witness in the trial on Tuesday 7 May.

In the letter, which runs over 2.5 pages, he explains in detail why he does not want to be questioned.

Bhatti continues the letter by referring to a complaint he made against PST two years ago.

The EOS selection landed on giving PST “criticism for certain errors in the monitoring”.

He writes further about what he believes to be an unfair and cross-border investigation by the Norwegian police and PST.

It is, among other things, because he does not get access to this investigation, that Bhatti does not want to be questioned, he explains:

The letter also states that Bhatti wants access to all covert and preventive investigations about him.

Claims he was abducted and tortured

Arfan Bhatti was internationally wanted by the Norwegian police on 23 September 2022, charged with complicity in a serious act of terrorism in Oslo.

Three days later he was arrested by Pakistani security services.

According to what NRK knows, Bhatti explained in the interrogation in January that he was abducted after he had accompanied the children to school.

He believes that the Norwegian authorities, through the search warrant, exposed him and his minor children to mortal danger.

The children are said to have been without their father for almost a week, before they were picked up by a family member from relatives. Their mother was in Norway and Bhatti was alone with the young children in Pakistan when he was caught.

Bhatti claims he was tortured, did not see sunlight for months and was not given a lawyer.

It was not until 14 April the following year, when the federal police took over the case, that he found out how things had gone with his children, he says in the interview according to what NRK knows.

Police feared Bhatti would escape

Police prosecutor Ingvild Myrold ​​in the Oslo Police District responds to the criticism from Arfan Bhatti:

– We had information to support that there was a strong risk that Bhatti would evade prosecution when Bhatti became aware of the charge against him. In addition, other terrorist targets were mentioned in the chat with the intelligence service, which meant that we could not wait to take measures, such as a search warrant.

– After launching the search warrant, the police asked Bhatti’s defense attorney to investigate whether Bhatti would allow himself to be picked up by the Norwegian police and return to Norway with the children. Whether the defense and Bhatti managed to talk about this is not known to the prosecution, says Myrold ​​to NRK.

Hope he will talk

Arfan Bhatti will be called as a witness in the trial against terror accused Zaniar Matapour on Tuesday.

– It has not been clarified whether Bhatti wants to give an explanation. He has the status of the accused and has a right to refuse to testify in court, says Myrold.

The prosecutor in the case, Sturla Henriksbø, tells NRK that it will be interesting to see if Bhatti wants to explain himself or not.

– He has previously said that he does not want to give any explanation in the case, but we think that it is natural to summon him and ask the questions we are wondering about, when he is in Norway during the trial.

During the interrogations in Pakistan, and in the letter written to the Norwegian authorities, Bhatti expresses that he does not want to be questioned. Henriksbø says the prosecution has “no great expectation” that Bhatti will say anything more.

– But we hope he is willing to answer something, and perhaps he is willing to talk more about certain topics.

Henriksbø tells NRK that Bhatti, according to the police’s charges, was the mastermind behind the terrorist attack in central Oslo on the night of 25 June 2022.

Denies criminal guilt

In the letter, Bhatti firmly expresses that he believes the Norwegian authorities have broken the law in the investigation of him.

Since he was charged, Bhatti has denied criminal guilt and any involvement in the case.

– In conclusion, I would like to say that I have not contributed in any way to the act Zaniar is accused of, and know as little about it as anyone else.

Bhatti’s defender, John Christian Elden, emphasizes that his client is only charged in the case, not prosecuted.

– Bhatti was on holiday with his family in June when this shooting in Oslo took place. He has had nothing to do with this case, according to his own explanation. He has denied that he has been in any communication with any agents from the Norwegian intelligence servicesays Elden to NRK.

Elden does not think his client can give more answers in the case.

– Based on what he has said so far, I don’t think he can give any more answers. He has already been questioned by the Norwegian police in Pakistan. It happened a few months ago, where he gave the answers that he had to give, which do not link him to the case.

The Oslo district court will decide today at 12 o’clock whether Bhatti should be remanded in custody. It happens as a so-called office transaction without Bhatti himself being present in court.