Oslo Pride Shooting Mastermind Arfan Bhatti Sentenced To 30 Years
A Norwegian court has sentenced Arfan Bhatti to 30 years in prison for helping orchestrate the 2022 attack that hit Oslo Pride celebrations, according to Reuters.
It has been nearly four years since the tragic shooting at the London Pub in Oslo, but the legal chapter is finally closing. On Friday, a Norwegian court handed down a guilty verdict to Arfan Bhatti for orchestrating the attack that targeted the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride celebrations.
A Norwegian court has sentenced Arfan Bhatti to 30 years for orchestrating the 2022 Oslo Pride shooting. A tragic chapter, but an important moment for justice.
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Bhatti, a 48-year-old Norwegian citizen and known Islamist, was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Although he was in Pakistan when the shooting occurred, the court found he was the architect behind the violence that claimed two lives and left the community shaken.
A long road to justice.
The prosecution has been a complex process. Bhatti was extradited to Norway in 2024 and has remained in custody since. During the trial, he pleaded not guilty to the charges of complicity in aggravated terrorism.
Psychiatric evaluations played a central role in the proceedings. Two forensic experts concluded in court that Bhatti has “severe dissocial personality disorder” and meets the criteria for psychopathy. However, they determined he was still criminally responsible for his actions, leading to the maximum sentence available under the law. He can appeal the verdict.
In June 2022, Zaniar Matapour, an Iranian-born Norwegian, opened fire at the London Pub, a hub for Oslo’s LGBTQIA+ scene, and a neighbouring bar. Two men died, eight others were wounded by bullets, and dozens more suffered injuries in the chaos that followed.
Matapour was the gunman on the ground, but he did not act alone. He was convicted of murder and aggravated terrorism in July 2024 and is currently serving his own 30-year sentence. The court at the time stated the attack was clearly aimed at instilling fear in the LGBTQIA+ population.
Missed warnings.
One of the most frustrating aspects of this tragedy is that it might have been avoidable. An independent inquiry into the authorities’ response concluded in 2023 that police could have prevented the attack had they acted on a tip-off from a foreign intelligence agency.
While the verdict cannot undo the pain caused to the victims and their families, it brings a measure of accountability to the man who pulled the strings from thousands of kilometres away.
