Zaniar Motapour, Norwegian-Iranian Citizen, Charged with Committing a Terrorist Act

Zaniar Motapour, a Norwegian citizen of Iranian descent, was charged with committing a terrorist act on Friday, November 10, due to a deadly shooting at a sexual and gender minorities festival in Oslo during the summer of 2022. According to the Associated Press and the Norwegian prosecutor, Mr. Motapour fired 10 rounds from an automatic weapon and eight rounds from a rifle at a crowd of 560 people in Oslo's nightlife area. This 44-year-old citizen had previously sworn allegiance to the Islamic State group (ISIS). During Mr. Motapour's shooting at three locations in Oslo on June 25, 2022, two people were killed and nine others were seriously injured. The Norwegian prosecutor noted the immense terror caused by this incident, adding that one of the victims was hit by four bullets and another was killed by a single bullet. Mr. Motapour was arrested by individuals present at the crime scene after his shooting and has been in custody since then on charges of shooting. Following his deadly attack, the Pride parade in Oslo was canceled, and the police stated they could not guarantee its safety. Motapour has refused to speak with investigators. Another Norwegian prosecutor mentioned that four other suspects are linked to the shooting but have not yet been charged as investigations continue. According to him, two of these four are outside Norway, one of whom is an extremist Islamist hiding in Pakistan, and the whereabouts of the fourth person are unknown. Mr. Motapour's trial is set to begin in late winter this year and will last for two months. If convicted, he faces 30 years in prison. Norway has a low crime rate, and this deadly attack by an Iranian-descended citizen on the Pride parade has shocked the citizens of this country.