By Sevanah Sandoval
On June 25th, 2022, a gunman opened fire in Norway in the nightlife district of Oslo during the capital’s annual pride celebration, killing two and injuring more than twenty people. This week, his trial finally begins. The suspect was identified as a 42 year-old Norwegian citizen from Iran. The Norwegian Security Service named this event an “Islamist terror attack,” and raised its terror level from “moderate” to “extraordinary,” which is the highest level. The chief of the service, Roger Berg, further named the attack an “extreme Islamist terror attack.”
The suspect, Zaniar Matapour, was first noticed by the Norwegian Security Service in 2015 amid concerns of him being radicalized by an Islamist network. The service found that alongside his “long history” of threats and violence, the suspect has a history of mental health issues and a criminal record including a narcotics offense and weapons offense. In 2022, his defense lawyer revealed that Matapour “hasn’t denied carrying out the attack.”
On Tuesday, March 12th, Matapour’s trial began. He is accused of firing ten rounds with a machine gun and eight shots with a handgun into a crowd. He is currently refusing to speak with investigators. If found guilty, Matapour will face thirty years in prison.
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