A Norwegian court has found a man guilty of murder and terrorism over a deadly shooting rampage at a gay bar in Oslo in 2022 during the city's annual Pride celebration.
Two people died, nine suffered gunshot wounds and 25 others were injured after the shooting at the London Pub, a long-standing hub of Oslo's LGBTQ+ scene, as well as a nearby bar in the centre of the Norwegian capital.
Zaniar Matapour, a 45-year-old Iranian-born Norwegian citizen, described by police as a radicalised Islamist with a history of mental illness, stood trial on charges of committing gross terrorism and murder.
He will serve 30 years in prison, which could be extended indefinitely if he is deemed to continue to pose a threat to society, a sentence that is in line with what the prosecution had asked for.
"This is a big relief," the head of the support group for survivors and victims' relatives, Espen Evjenth, told public broadcaster NRK.
"This verdict is an important step to establish a common understanding in our society about what happened."
Matapour was also ordered to pay compensation amounting to around 112 million crowns (€9.8m) to survivors and relatives of the victims.
It was not immediately clear if Matapour, who declared himself not guilty, would appeal the verdict.
The verdict comes days after Oslo's 2024 Pride parade, which paid tribute to the memories of the victims of the shooting.
An estimated 70,000 revellers - the equivalent of 10% of Oslo's population - marched in this year's event, a number a little under last year's record of 90,000 participants.
According to the charges against him, Matapour started shooting at about 1.13am local time, some 50 minutes after swearing allegiance to the so-called Islamic State.
He fired two weapons at people inside and outside the venues, including some who tried to hide or run away, according to the charges.
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.
