Draft:Zaniar Matapour
Zaniar Matapour | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 26, 1979[1] |
| Citizenship | Norwegian |
| Known for | Perpetrator of the 2022 Oslo shooting |
| Criminal status | Convicted and sentenced to 30 years imprisonment |
| Convictions | Murder, attempted murder, terrorism |
| Criminal penalty | 30 years imprisonment |
Zaniar Matapour (born June 26, 1979) is an Norwegian, Kurd convicted for carrying out the 2022 Oslo shooting. He was born in the Kurdistan Province, Iran, Sanandaj and immigrated to Norway as a child.
Early life and background
[edit]Matapour was from the Kurdistan Province of Iran and moved with his family to Norway in 1991, settling in Bergen.[2][3][4] They later confirmed that they had known of Matapour since 2015, saying that he had been radicalized into Islamic extremism.[5] They also said he had a "history of violence and threats", as well as mental health issues.[6] [7]
He reportedly struggled with mental health issues, including a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia.[8] Matapour was known to Norwegian police since 2015 due to concerns about his violent behavior and radicalization toward Islamic extremism.[9]
Associations
[edit]He had connections to Arfan Bhatti, a prominent Islamist extremist in Norway, and was seen with Bhatti in a vehicle stopped by police shortly before the attack.[10]
Oslo Pride shooting and conviction
[edit]On June 25, 2022, Matapour opened fire at the Oslo Pride event, killing two people and injuring others.[11] He was arrested shortly afterward and charged with murder, attempted murder, and terrorism.[12]
According to the prosecution a man named Arfan Bhatti is alleged to have assisted in procuring weapons and attempted to establish contact with the terrorist organization ISIS, with the aim of having them claim responsibility for the attack. [13]
In July 2024, Matapour was sentenced to 30 years in prison, the maximum sentence allowed under Norwegian law.[14] He appealed the conviction later that year.[15]
Legal and interrogation issues
[edit]Matapour refused to appear for police questioning and expressed distrust of police methods, demanding his interrogations be made public.[16]
References
[edit]- ^ "Zaniar Matapour background". Rudaw. June 29, 2022.
- ^ Svendsen, Christine; Holm-Nilsen, Sverre (25 June 2022). "Arfan Bhatti la ut sitater om drap på homofile på Facebook" [Arfan Bhatti posted quotes about the murder of gays on Facebook]. NRK (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 25 June 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
Bhatti, som har vært sentral i det norske ekstremistmiljøet i Norge, la 14. juni ut et brennende regnbueflagg og et sitat på sosiale medier som oppfordrer til å drap på homofile. Etter det NRK vet har terrorsiktede Zaniar Matapour (42) og Bhatti hatt kontakt. NRK får også opplyst at politiet etterforsker hvem i det ekstreme islamistmiljøet 42-åringen har hatt kontakt med, og hvor omfattende kontakten eventuelt har vært.
[Bhatti, who has been central to the Norwegian extremist milieu in Norway, posted a burning rainbow flag on June 14 and a quote on social media calling for the killing of gay people. As far as NRK knows, terror suspect Zaniar Matapour (42) and Bhatti have been in contact. NRK is also informed that the police are investigating who in the extreme Islamist milieu the 42-year-old has had contact with, and how extensive the contact may have been.] - ^ "Zaniar Matapour (42) siktet for drap, drapsforsøk og terrorhandling: Dette vet vi om gjerningsmannen" [Zaniar Matapour (42) charged with murder, attempted murder and acts of terrorism: This is what we know about the perpetrator]. Aftenposten (in Norwegian). 25 June 2022. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
Flere medier melder at Matapour har koblinger til Arfan Bhatti, som er en ledende figur for bevegelsen Profetens Umma. De ble kjent for å rekruttere en rekke nordmenn til å krige for IS i Syria.
[Several media outlets have reported that Matapour has connections to Arfan Bhatti, who is a leading figure in the Profetens Ummah movement. They are known for recruiting several Norwegians to fight for IS in Syria.] - ^ Hopperstad, Morten; Andersen, Gordon; Muladal, Ane; Haram, Ola (25 June 2022). "Opplysninger til VG: Oslo-skytter stoppet i bil sammen med Arfan Bhatti" [VG's information: Oslo shooter stopped in car with Arfan Bhatti]. Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
Ifølge VGs opplysninger hadde Matapour da blitt stoppet av politiet i forbindelse med en SIAN-demonstrasjon på Stovner i Oslo i april. Matapour satt da i en bil sammen med den sentrale islamisten Arfan Bhatti (44), ifølge VGs opplysninger.
[According to VG's information, Matapour had then been stopped by the police in connection with a SIAN demonstration at Stovner in Oslo in April. Matapour then sat in a car with the central Islamist Arfan Bhatti (44), according to VG's information.] - ^ Cite error: The named reference
:0was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Norway shaken by attack that kills 2 during Pride festival - the Washington Post". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 28 June 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ "Zaniar Matapour background". Rudaw. June 29, 2022.
- ^ "oslo shooter identified as radical islamist with mental illness as police urge delay to pride events". Forbes. June 27, 2022.
- ^ "Police aware of Matapour's radicalization since 2015". Aftenposten. June 28, 2022.
- ^ "Association with Arfan Bhatti". Aftenposten. April 2022.
- ^ "Oslo shooting: Two killed at Pride event". BBC News. June 26, 2022.
- ^ "Zaniar Matapour arrested after Oslo Pride shooting". NRK. June 26, 2022.
- ^ "Arfan Bhatti charged with involvement in terror attack". Conflingo. 8 April 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ "Iranian-born Norwegian man gets 30 years for Oslo Pride shootings". Al Jazeera. July 4, 2024.
- ^ "Shooter appeals conviction". US News. July 25, 2024.
- ^ "Matapour fears police manipulation". Aftenposten. July 2022.