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Zaniar Matapour plans to appeal 30-year terrorism sentence for June 25 attack in Norway

Thursday 25th 2024 on 16:54 in  
Norway

Two people were killed when Zaniar Matapour opened fire at the venues Per på hjørnet and London pub on June 25, 2022. In late June this year, Matapour was sentenced to 30 years in preventive custody for serious terrorism. Reports indicate that he plans to appeal this historically strict sentence.

Espen Evjenth, leader of the support group for the victims of the June 25 attack, expressed disappointment over the appeal. “This is a very frustrating message for us affected by the case. It means another round of uncertainty and waiting for the case to be heard, with many of us having to endure the burden of testifying again in a new trial.” He emphasized that they respect how the legal system operates. “It’s tough that everything is at stake again, but it’s important to say that we haven’t gone back to square one. We have been heard and believed in the first instance, and we carry that with us.”

Matapour was charged under the Penal Code §132 for serious terrorist acts, carrying a maximum sentence of 30 years. Since 1981, the maximum prison term in Norway was 21 years until life imprisonment was abolished. In 2010, a proposal was introduced to raise the sentence for serious terrorism, which became law in 2015.

Attorney Hege Salomon mentioned that the victims she spoke with are disappointed by the prospect of a new round of trials. “We had hoped that the sentence could stand, especially regarding compensation claims. Now, a new round in the appellate court is necessary.” A total of 312 individuals have been designated as victims in this case, a number that increased after the trial started. Matapour was ordered to pay 112.4 million NOK in damages to the victims. While Matapour is primarily responsible for the payments, the state initially covers the compensation for crime victims, seeking to reclaim the funds from the convicted when possible.

Source 
(via nrk.no)