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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Police stumped over shooting defendant

The 43-year-old Iranian-Norwegian who went on a shooting spree against several bars in Oslo last weekend is causing major problems for police. He won’t answer questions, won’t meet with court-appointed psychiatrists charged with evaluating his mental health and won’t even allow police access to his own health records.

“We have had to limit ourselves to what’s written in earlier convictions against him,” prosecutor Christian Hatlo told newspaper Aftenposten. Hatlo made it clear that the defendant, Zania Matapour, is blocking the investigation of his case. Even crime suspects, however, have the right to refuse to cooperate with police and prevent health care officials against releasing his medical records.

Hatlo thinks it’s time to change the law: “We don’t want a police state in Norway, but perhaps we could be allowed to evaluate an exception in terror cases or in serious mass shootings.”

Matapour is charged with murder, attempted murder and bodily assault after he set off a mass shooting that’s believed to have targeted those taking part in Price celebrations. Police still aren’t convinced he acted alone, and suspect he was influenced by or even cooperated with an extremist Islamic milieu opposed to gay rights.

NewsinEnglish.no staff

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