The trial of a man accused of opening fire at an LGBTQ festival has begun in Norway.
Zaniar Matapour is accused of shooting patrons at a popular gay bar in Oslo known as the London Pub on June 25, 2022. Matapour emigrated from Iran and fled to Norway when he was 12 with his family. The 44-year-old had sworn his allegiance to the Islamic State and is facing murder and terrorism charges. He has consistently refused to speak to police during the investigation and entered a not-guilty plea.
During the first day of the trial, the prosecution showed a video from the 2022 attack. The shooter, dressed in a yellow t-shirt, walked through the Oslo nightlife district before firing at people sitting at tables outside The London Pub. Two people – a 54-year-old man and a 60-year-old man – died and nine other people were injured because of the gunfire. A total of 19 bullets were fired.
Prosecutor Sturla Henriksbø said that Matapour had been in trouble with law enforcement when he was a teenager and had undergone psychiatric treatment. The Daily Mail reports that he was tied to a stabbing at a school prom. Politico reports that Matapour had previously been arrested for a narcotics offense and for carrying a knife.
Matapour was also reported to police in 2016 after he allegedly became radicalized, per the BBC.
Henriksbø explained that on the day of the attack, Matapour had gone to a mosque and then traveled via taxi from a suburb of Bjorndal to Oslo before boarding a tram to the neighborhood with The London Pub.
Matapour questioned why his trial was being held during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim calendar marked by fasting and religious reflection. He argued that the court did not convene during Easter.
“I have not perceived that there is a conflict in carrying out the case even though it is Ramadan,” said Judge Eirik Aass, per AP News.
If convicted, Matapour could be sentenced to 30 years in prison.
The country held a memorial service the day after the attack. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said the shooting would not “stop the fight and the efforts to fight discrimination, prejudice and hatred.”
He also directly addressed the Muslim community in the country directly
“I know how many of you felt when it turned out that the perpetrator belonged to the Islamic community. Many of you experienced fear and unrest. You should know this: We stand together, we are one community and we are responsible for the community together,” said Gahr Stoere, per PBS.
