The chartered private plane with terrorist suspect Arfan Bhatti landed at Gardermoen at 18:33 on Friday evening.
An hour and a half later, two black cars drove into Kongsvinger prison. According to NRK’s information, Bhatti was in one of the cars.
Bhatti’s lawyer Farid Bouras arrived in his own car at the prison gates shortly afterwards. There he met a large press corps, but did not want to answer any questions.
– Bouras is with Bhatti in Kongsvinger prison for an initial interview. We will continue the talks tomorrow, and only then come with an update on how he presents himself for remand, says lawyer John Christian Elden to NRK on Friday evening.
There will be no prison meeting for Arfan Bhatti on Saturday. The Oslo district court states that it has been decided that the case will proceed as office business.
Lawyer Farid Bouras from the law firm Elden was tight-lipped when he met the press on his way into Kongsvinger prison on Friday evening.
Photo: Anders Bakkerud Larsen / NRK
Chartered own plane
A team from the police emergency squad hurriedly went to Pakistan to bring Bhatti to Norway on Thursday, according to NRK’s information.
Bhatti has been detained in Pakistan for a year and a half.
Next week, he is called in as a witness in the trial against Zaniar Matapour, who is accused of a serious act of terrorism during pride in Oslo in 2022. Bhatti is himself charged in the same case.
According to NRK’s information, Bhatti will be taken directly to Kongsvinger prison.
Photo: Anders Bakkerud Larsen / NRK
The chartered private plane of the Bombardier Challenger type is owned by a foreign airline, with which the Norwegian authorities have an agreement.
The flight took off from Islamabad on Thursday morning and landed just before 3pm in Romania’s capital, Bucharest.
In the past, the same plane has, among other things, transported the Norwegian prime minister to foreign assignments in risk areas, according to NRK’s information.
Bhatti was told that he was going to Norway just a few hours before the Norwegian police arrived. When he was taken out of the prison cell and handed over to the Norwegian police, Bhatti is said to have offered no resistance.
It became known that Bhatti was on his way to Norway on Friday morning.
Pakistani authorities had allowed Bhatti to be extradited, but the decision was appealed by his Pakistani lawyers. On 29 April at the latest, they appeared in court to argue against the extradition.
Facts about Uncle Arfan Q. Bhatti
Expand/minimize fact box
- Arfan Qadeer Bhatti is a Norwegian citizen with a Pakistani background. He has been convicted several times, including for threats, blackmail and violence.
- In 2008, Bhatti was convicted of complicity in damage to the synagogue in Oslo in 2006, but acquitted of the charge of terrorist planning.
- He was later convicted of domestic violence.
- Bhatti was internationally wanted after the Oslo terror attack in June 2022. He is charged with complicity in terrorist acts.
Source: NTB/NRK
Well-known Norwegian Islamist
Arfan Qadeer Bhatti is a Norwegian citizen with a Pakistani background. He has been convicted several times, including for threats, blackmail and violence.
Four are charged with terrorism following the attack against the queer community in Oslo on 25 June 2022. In addition, Zaniar Matapour is charged with having shot and killed two and injured several others in the attack.
The main trial against Matapour has been ongoing since March.
Whether he will arrive in Norway in time to testify in the criminal case against terrorist accused Zaniar Matapour has been a topic throughout the ongoing trial.
Messages on a Telegram account the police believe can be linked to Bhatti having sent an agent in the E-service are among the evidence presented in court.
Getting Bhatti extradited to Norway has been a long process.
Police investigators and the state prosecutors traveled to Pakistan at the turn of January/February 2024, and collected evidence they believe links Bhatti to the account.
It is now planned that Bhatti will testify in the case on Tuesday and Wednesday next week.
Published 03/05/2024, at 18.33 Updated 03.05.2024, at 23.01