Norway's Oslo District Court has sentenced Arfan Bhatti to 30 years of preventive detention for his role in the 2022 Oslo terrorist attack. The court found Bhatti guilty of complicity in the deadly shooting and for planning several other terror plots, marking a significant conclusion to one of the country's major terrorism trials.
The Court's Verdict and Charges
Bhatti received the maximum sentence of 30 years of 'forvaring,' a special form of indefinite preventive detention reserved for the most severe crimes where there is a high risk of reoffending. The court convicted him based on his involvement in the June 25, 2022 attack in central Oslo, which targeted the London Pub and other nearby LGBTQ+ venues. The prosecution successfully argued that Bhatti provided crucial encouragement and ideological motivation to the shooter, Zaniar Matapour, who was sentenced to the same 30-year term earlier this year. Beyond the executed attack, the judgment detailed that Bhatti was found guilty of attempting to plan additional terrorist acts, underscoring the court's view of his continued dangerousness.
A Defendant's Defiance and Criminal History
Throughout the trial, Arfan Bhatti did not acknowledge any criminal guilt for the terrorism charges. This stance contrasted sharply with the evidence presented by prosecutors, who built a case showing his active role in radicalizing and directing Matapour. The court's verdict noted his extensive prior criminal record, which includes convictions for serious offenses like knife stabbings, shootings, threats, and violence against family members. This history formed a key part of the prosecution's argument for the necessity of 'forvaring,' demonstrating a pattern of severe violence and a perceived unlikelihood of rehabilitation within a standard prison term.
The Legal Mechanism of 'Forvaring'
The sentence of 'forvaring' represents Norway's most stringent criminal penalty. Unlike a fixed prison sentence, it is a combined term of imprisonment and subsequent preventive detention. An inmate sentenced to 'forvaring' first serves a prison sentence, typically with a minimum time set before parole eligibility can be considered. After this term, if the inmate is still deemed a danger to society, they can be held in preventive detention for consecutive five-year periods, subject to regular court reviews. This system is designed to protect the public from individuals considered irredeemably dangerous. The use of this sentence for both Bhatti and Matapour highlights the judicial system's assessment of the attack's gravity and the perpetrators' ongoing threat.
Parallels to the Matapour Sentence
The prosecution had requested the 30-year 'forvaring' for Bhatti, mirroring the sentence already given to the direct perpetrator, Zaniar Matapour. This parallel sentencing reflects the court's agreement with the state's argument that Bhatti's role as an accomplice was equally critical to the act of terrorism. Legal observers note that holding both the material perpetrator and the ideological instigator to the same level of accountability sends a clear message about Norway's comprehensive approach to combating terrorism. It underscores that those who enable and inspire attacks face the full force of the law, just as those who carry them out do.