COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — An Iranian-born Norwegian man was found guilty of terrorism on Thursday in a 2022 attack on an LGBTQ+ festival in Oslo and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Two people were killed and nine were seriously wounded in the shooting at three locations, chiefly outside the London Pub, a popular gay bar, on June 25, 2022.
The Oslo District Court said Zaniar shot 10 rounds with a machine gun and eight shots with a handgun into the crowd. It said Matapour had sworn allegiance to the Islamic State group and “has been radicalized for several years.”
His 30-year sentence was the highest penalty in Norway since terror legislation was changed in 2015.
Matapour can request parole after 20 years but can only be released if he is deemed no longer dangerous.
Prosecutor Aud Kinsarvik Gravås called it “the right outcome” and “a historically severe punishment.” Matapour's lawyer, Marius Dietrichson, said it was "a severe punishment” and that they have not yet decided whether to appeal.
Espen Evjenth, who was hit by a bullet in the forehead at the London Pub, told the Norwegian news agency NTB that it was “a great relief.”
Extensive video material of the attack had been presented in court. The verdict was not read in court but sent out electronically. Matapour would have the verdict read to him in prison, the court said.
Matapour was overpowered by bystanders after the attack and arrested. Following the attack, a Pride parade was canceled, with police saying they could not guarantee security.
The shooting shocked Norway, which has a relatively low crime rate but has experienced a series of “lone wolf” attacks by individuals in recent decades, including one of the worst mass shootings in Europe. In 2011, a right-wing extremist killed 69 people on the island of Utoya after setting off a bomb in Oslo that left eight dead.
Six days before the attack, Norway’s external intelligence agency, E-Tjenesten, learned from an undercover agent that a possible action was expected in a Nordic country and the information was passed to the domestic security service.
Matapour had pleaded innocent. He was examined by a court-appointed psychiatrist who concluded that he was sane at the time of the attack.
During the trial, both the prosecution and the defense agreed that Matapour fired into the crowd and there was no disagreement that the shooting was terror motivated. However, Dietrichson had sought acquittal, saying his client had been provoked to carry out the attack by an E-Tjenesten agent who was pretending to be a high-ranking member of the Islamic State group.
The court said that “it is clear that the actions of the E-Tjenesten did not involve any illegal provocation” and “did not provoke an act of terrorism that would not otherwise have been committed.”
The trial started in March and ended May 16.
Four others are suspected of complicity in the case, but none has been formally charged.
FILE - Zaniar Matapour appears in court in Oslo, Norway, March 12, 2024. A verdict is expected Thursday, July 4, in case of the Iranian-born Norwegian man who is charged with terrorism for the 2022 deadly shooting at an Oslo LGBTQ Pride festival. (Lise Åserud/NTB Scanpix via AP, File)
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Jhon Córdoba, James Rodríguez and Luis Díaz scored goals during a dominant first half to spark Colombia to a 5-0 win over Panama in the quarterfinals of the Copa America on Saturday.
Colombia — which came into Saturday on a 26-match unbeaten streak — wasted little time on No. 27 when Córdoba's well-placed header in the eighth minute found the bottom corner of the net following a corner kick from Rodríguez.
Los Cafeteros pushed ahead 2-0 less than 10 minutes later on Rodríguez's powerful penalty kick. Colombia was awarded the penalty after Panama goalie Orlando Mosquera tripped up Colombia's Jhon Arias, who was sprinting to save the ball from going out of bounds near the post.
It was the 32-year-old Rodríguez's 28th goal in international play.
Colombia made it 3-0 in the 41st minute when Díaz lobbed a shot over Mosquera, who had charged forward during the breakaway. The goal was set up by another good pass from Rodríguez.
Panama had a few decent chances to score in the first half, including a shot that bounced off the post before being swatted out of danger by Colombia goalie Camilo Vargas. But Los Canaleros could not make a dent in the lead.
Colombia scored its fourth goal in the 70th minute when Richard Ríos blasted a long right-footed shot past Mosquera into the bottom left corner of the net. The final goal came in stoppage time when Miguel Borja converted a penalty kick.
Colombia will play in the semifinals on Wednesday in Charlotte, North Carolina, against the winner of Uruguay-Brazil on Saturday.
The heavily-favored Colombians enjoyed a huge home field advantage in front of announced crowd of 39,740 at State Farm Stadium, with most fans donning the team's bright yellow jerseys. The stadium's retractable roof was closed because of temperatures that hovered around 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 Celsius) outside.
Panama's unexpected run to the quarterfinals included a 2-1 win over the United States during group play.
AP Copa America coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/copa-america
Colombia's Richard Rios chases Panama's Cristian Martínez during a Copa America quarterfinal soccer match in Glendale, Ariz., Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ross Franklin)
Colombia's Luis Diaz, bottom, is congratulated by James Rodriguez after scoring his side's 3rd goal against Panama during a Copa America quarterfinal soccer match in Glendale, Ariz., Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Colombia's Daniel Munoz, left, and Panama's Edgar Barcenas vie for the ball during a Copa America quarterfinal soccer match in Glendale, Ariz., Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ross Franklin)
Colombia's Luis Diaz celebrates scoring his side's 3rd goal against Panama during a Copa America quarterfinal soccer match in Glendale, Ariz., Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Colombia's James Rodriguez scores his side's 2nd goal from the penalty spot against Panama during a Copa America quarterfinal soccer match in Glendale, Ariz., Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Panama's Cristian Martínez reacts after James Rodriguez scored from the penalty spot Colombia's second goal during a Copa America quarterfinal soccer match in Glendale, Ariz., Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ross Franklin)
Colombia's Jhon Cordoba, center, celebrates scoring his side's opening goal against Panama during a Copa America quarterfinal soccer match in Glendale, Ariz., Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Colombia's James Rodriguez celebrates scoring his side's 2nd goal from the penalty spot against Panama during a Copa America quarterfinal soccer match in Glendale, Ariz., Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
