Bhatti will not explain himself in the trial against Matapour.
Saturday 4 May at 13:38
On Saturday, Arfan Bhatti was remanded in custody for four weeks in the Oslo district court.
Bhatti has been subpoenaed as a witness in the trial against Matapour, but defense attorney John Christian Elden says he will not explain himself.
Bhatti will use his right not to explain himself in a case in which he himself has been charged.
– I don’t think Bhatti has that many new answers to come up with. He gave a police statement to the Norwegian police in Pakistan in February, and he has distanced himself from having anything to do with this case. So he won’t be able to add that much, says Elden to NRK.
On Saturday, a decision will be made as to whether Bhatti should be remanded in custody. He has requested to be released.
The 46-year-old is charged with complicity in the terrorist shooting in Oslo on 25 June 2022, where two people were shot and killed when terrorist suspect Zaniar Matapour opened fire on the nightclubs Per på Hjørnet and London Pub.
The 46-year-old has been imprisoned in Pakistan for the past year and a half, where there have been countless court hearings to have him extradited to Norway.
In the prison order on Saturday, the court writes that, in their view, there are many clues that Bhatti and Matapour had contact prior to the shooting.
– The accused was not in Norway when the actions were carried out. However, the court believes that there is a preponderance of probability that he has contributed psychologically in advance, by strengthening Matapour’s intent, the ruling states.
The court also believes that the tampering of evidence is high, and that there is a risk of evasion.
tip us
Do you have any tips for this matter?
Send us information, photos or video
tip us
