An Iranian-born Norwegian man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after being found guilty of terrorism in connection with a 2022 attack on an LGBTQ+ festival in Oslo.
The Oslo District Court delivered its verdict on Thursday, ruling that the man, identified as Zaniar Matapour, carried out a shooting spree that resulted in two deaths and left nine others seriously injured.
During the attack on June 25, 2022, Matapour fired a machine gun and a handgun into the crowd at three locations, including outside the popular gay bar, London Pub.
The court stated that Matapour had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and had been radicalized over several years.
The 30-year sentence is the most severe penalty handed down in Norway under its terror legislation revised in 2015. Matapour may seek parole after 20 years but only if deemed no longer a threat.
Prosecutor Aud Kinsarvik Gravås hailed the verdict as “the right outcome” and “a historically severe punishment.” Matapour’s lawyer, Marius Dietrichson, described it as “severe” and indicated they may consider an appeal.
One of the victims, Espen Evjenth, who was shot in the forehead at London Pub, expressed relief following the sentencing.
The court proceedings included extensive video evidence of the attack, with the verdict announced electronically and later read to Matapour in prison.
The attack rattled Norway, known for its low crime rate but having experienced previous lone wolf attacks, including the 2011 massacre where a right-wing extremist killed 69 people on the island of Utoya. Six days prior to the 2022 attack, Norway’s intelligence agency received information of a potential threat in a Nordic country.
Matapour had pleaded not guilty but a court-appointed psychiatrist deemed him sane at the time of the attack. While both the prosecution and defense agreed on the motive behind the shooting, the defense had argued for acquittal citing alleged provocation by an intelligence agent posing as an Islamic State leader, a claim dismissed by the court.
The trial spanned from March to May, with four others suspected of involvement pending formal charges.
