Matapour, described as a radicalized Islamist, was sentenced to 30 years in prison, extendable if he remains a threat
\n oslo
\nA Norwegian court found a man guilty of conducting a deadly shooting rampage at a gay bar in Oslo in 2022 during the city\u2019s annual Pride celebrations, Norwegian media organisations NRK, TV2, Dagbladet and VG reported on Thursday.
\nThe verdict will be made public at 1300 CET (1100 GMT). The court sent it to the parties involved ahead of that time.
\nMatapour will serve 30 years in prison, which could be extended indefinitely if he is deemed to continue to pose a threat to society, the media organisations reported, a sentence that is in line with what the prosecution had asked for.
\nLawyers for Matapour and the prosecution were not immediately available for comment. A lawyer representing victims\u2019 families declined to comment before the verdict was made public.
\nTwo people died, nine suffered gunshot wounds and 25 others were injured after the shooting at the London Pub, a longstanding hub of Oslo\u2019s LGBTQ+ scene, as well as a nearby bar in the centre of the Norwegian capital.
\nZaniar Matapour, a 45-year-old, Iranian-born Norwegian citizen, described by police as a radicalised Islamist with a history of mental illness, stood trial on charges of committing gross terrorism and murder.
\nIt was not immediately clear if he would appeal the verdict. Matapour declared himself not guilty.
\nThe verdict comes days after Oslo\u2019s annual Pride parade, which paid tribute to the memories of the victims of the shooting.
\nAn estimated 70,000 revellers\u2013the equivalent of 10% of Oslo\u2019s population\u2013marched in this year\u2019s event, a number a little under last year\u2019s record of 90,000 participants.
\nAccording to the charges against him, Matapour started shooting at about 1:13 a.m. local time, some 50 minutes after swearing allegiance to the Islamic State.
\nHe fired two weapons at people inside and outside the venues, including some who tried to hide or run away, according to the charges.
\nAn independent inquiry into the authorities\u2019 response concluded in 2023 that police could have prevented the attack had they acted on a tip-off from a foreign intelligence agency.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Matapour, described as a radicalized Islamist, was sentenced to 30 years in prison, extendable if he remains a threat oslo A Norwegian court found a man guilty of conducting a deadly shooting rampage at a gay bar in Oslo in 2022 during the city\u2019s annual Pride celebrations, Norwegian media organisations NRK, TV2, Dagbladet and VG […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":416523,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-416486","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n