Arfan Bhatti petitions to be released from custody

Bhatti denies criminal guilt and therefore believes there is no basis for him to be kept in custody, NTB is informed by the defender, lawyer John Christian Elden.

The detention period ends on Friday. The Oslo district court is hearing the police’s request for a further four weeks of detention in office business – where the negotiations on continued detention take place without a court hearing being held – on Thursday.

Bhatti has had a letter and visiting ban since he was detained on 4 May. Those restrictions were continued when the imprisonment was extended in September, but the visiting ban does not apply to his children. Police attorney Ingvild Myrold ​​confirms to NTB that the police are also this time asking for a letter and visiting ban.

Sentral rolle

Bhatti is charged with complicity in serious terrorism after the mass shooting in Oslo on 25 June 2022. Two people were killed in the shooting and ten seriously injured. In total, 312 people had the status of offended during the case against Zaniar Matapour.

The prosecution believes Bhatti had a decisive and central role in inciting and planning the terrorist shooting against people who were out at Per på Hjørnet and London Pub, to celebrate pride.

He himself categorically rejects any connection to the actions Matapour was sentenced to 30 years in prison for this summer.

– The police aim for the case against Bhatti to be fully investigated by the end of November, so that a recommendation from the police to the state attorney can be sent in December, says Myrold ​​to NTB.

Risk of escape

The Oslo District Court has previously assumed that there are reasonable grounds to suspect Bhatti of several criminal offenses which can each lead to a higher sentence than six months.

The Court has also justified the need for imprisonment with the risk of tampering with evidence and the risk of Bhatti evading punishment by running away.

The prosecution has stated that they will keep Bhatti in custody until the main hearing, which they expect to be carried out during the first half of 2025, with a verdict closer to the summer.