Norwegian Court Sentences Arfan Bhatti Over Deadly Pride Shooting

Arfan Bhatti, a Norwegian citizen, has been sentenced to 30 years for orchestrating a deadly shooting during Oslo's Pride in 2022, despite being in Pakistan at the time. He plans to appeal the verdict. Zaniar Matapour, the shooter, was sentenced in 2024.

A Norwegian court has sentenced Arfan Bhatti to 30 years in prison for his role in orchestrating the deadly 2022 Oslo Pride shooting. Despite being in Pakistan during the attack, Bhatti was found guilty of complicity in aggravated terrorism.

The tragedy saw two people killed and eight injured when Zaniar Matapour, the gunman, opened fire at the London Pub, a known LGBTQ+ venue. Matapour, an Iranian-born Norwegian, was convicted in July 2024 for murder and aggravated terrorism.

Bhatti plans to appeal the decision, claiming no involvement in the attack. Investigations revealed authorities might have prevented the disaster if they had heeded an intelligence tip-off. Bhatti's severe dissocial personality disorder surfaced during psychiatric evaluations but did not absolve his criminal liability.

(With inputs from agencies.)