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Norwegian court finds Islamist guilty of orchestrating deadly 2022 pride attack
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on January 16, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 19, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on January 16, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 19, 2026
A Norwegian court sentenced an Islamist to 30 years for orchestrating the 2022 Oslo Pride attack, which resulted in two deaths and multiple injuries.
OSLO, Jan 16 (Reuters) - A Norwegian court on Friday found an Islamist man guilty of orchestrating a deadly shooting at a gay bar during Oslo's 2022 Pride celebrations, sentencing him to 30 years in prison.
Arfan Bhatti, a 48-year-old Norwegian citizen born in Oslo, stood trial on charges of complicity in aggravated terrorism even though he was in Pakistan at the time of the attack.
Two people died and eight others were wounded by bullets when a lone gunman, identified as Iranian-born Norwegian Zaniar Matapour, opened fire on the London Pub, a hub of Oslo's LGBTQ+ scene, and a next-door bar in the centre of Norway's capital.
Dozens more suffered lesser injuries in the chaos that followed.
In July 2024, Matapour was convicted of murder and aggravated terrorism for carrying out the attack, and was also sentenced to 30 years in prison, the longest possible under Norwegian law.
Bhatti was extradited to Norway in 2024 and has remained in custody. He pleaded not guilty at trial and can appeal against the verdict.An independent inquiry into the authorities' response concluded in 2023 that police could have prevented the attack had they acted on a tip-off from a foreign intelligence agency.
Two forensic psychiatric experts concluded in court that Bhatti has severe dissocial personality disorder and meets the criteria for psychopathy, though they determined he still remains criminally responsible for his actions.
(Reporting by Terje Solsvik in Oslo and Soren Jeppesen in Copenhagen; Editing by Aidan Lewis)
Terrorism financing refers to the act of providing financial support to individuals or groups that engage in terrorist activities, often through illegal means.
Islamic finance is a financial system that operates in accordance with Islamic law (Sharia), prohibiting interest and promoting risk-sharing and ethical investments.
Financial crime encompasses a range of illegal activities that involve the manipulation of financial systems or assets, including fraud, money laundering, and embezzlement.
Financial stability refers to a condition in which the financial system operates effectively, maintaining confidence and preventing systemic risks that could lead to economic crises.
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