Suspect in Oslo bombings in custody

The suspect behind a weekend shooting in Oslo that left two dead and 21 injured was remanded in custody for four weeks on Monday.

Zaniar Matapour will remain incommunicado until July 25, the Oslo District Court ruled.

The 43-year-old is accused of killing two men and injuring 21 others when he opened fire near a gay bar in central Oslo in the early hours of Saturday morning, amid celebrations related to the Pride festival City.

Norway’s domestic intelligence service has described the attack as an “act of Islamist terrorism” and said Matapour has “difficulties with his mental health”.

Norwegian police said they are still investigating Matapour’s motive.

He has been charged with “acts of terrorism”, murder and attempted murder but has so far refused to be questioned by police.

According to his lawyer, he fears that investigators will manipulate video recordings of his interrogation.

Matapour, a Norwegian of Iranian origin, will undergo a preliminary psychiatric evaluation to determine the state of his mental health and whether he can be held legally responsible for his actions.

He had been known to the Norwegian secret service PST since 2015 because of concerns about his radicalization and membership in an “extremist Islamist network”.

Police said they are considering several possible theories, including an ideologically motivated attack, unstable mental health, a hate crime against the LGBTQ community, or a combination of factors.

The PST said it found no “violent intent” when its services interviewed him last month.

Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl said there would be a review of the handling of the case by the police and PST.

Nordic ministers visited the site of the attack on Monday and said in a joint statement that they “stand together with the LGBTI community and against all forms of violence”.

Oslo’s Pride March, which was due to take place for the first time in three years due to the Covid pandemic, has been postponed indefinitely.