In April, Zaniar Matapour, 43, was stopped in a car with Islamist center Arfan Bhatti at the SIAN demonstration in Stovner. His defenders believe that there is no basis for it.

VG previously said that Zaniar Matapour, 43, who opened fire on the street corner Per nightclub and a London pub on Saturday 25 June, was stopped in a car with Islamist center Arfan Bhatti in April.

It was in connection with the SIAN demonstration at Stovner in Oslo.

Following this, Matapour was called for a concerns interview with PST.

Last weekend, VG also wrote that Matapour was reported to be in possession of a knife in connection with this arrest. This information is incorrect and the case has been fixed. It was Arfan Bhatti who was arrested for possessing a knife.

John Christian Elden, who represents Matapour and Bhatti, stated that one or two knives were in the borrowed car along with other equipment. He believes the police have no basis for arresting Bhatti:

– We have been pressing case documents since April and have repeatedly promised to send them, but are still waiting. It’s as if the police have something to hide here other than the fact that they have no basis for arrest, Elden told VG.

Elden tells VG that police arrested Bhatti as he was the one driving the car.

– The case has not been formally decided, but the matter is also not punishable, so there is not much of a result of the indictment. However, it is not true that Matapour was unreported, arrested, and not in possession of a knife. It is pure imagination of the media claiming this. “In fact, according to PST, he must have been in the car, that’s not exactly a crime,” said Elden.

Definitely follow the leader of SIAN

based on News filter into car Bhatti and Matapour were first observed by civilian police when a SIAN activist was about to be picked up at his home by SIAN leader Lars Thorsen, about a ten-minute drive from Stovner where SIAN held a demonstration in April.

Later, the car was retaken not far from the gathering place for the protesters. According to Filter, police thought it was a car following the SIAN leader, but left when they saw police officers.

On June 14, a week before the mass shooting, the profile picture and cover image on Bhatti’s Facebook profile were changed to a no-show sign with a rainbow flag inside, and text that could be understood as incitement to kill gays. Two days after the shoot, the photo was deleted.

However, PST stated that they are not too worried about this year’s Pride celebrations.

Police: Danger of lost evidence

Police Superintendent Per Thomas Omholt told VG that the prosecution authorities in the police force have so far not given Bhatti or his defense access to the documents in the case due to a clause.

– Prosecution authorities in the police have so far not provided the accused or his defense with access to case documents because it could harm or jeopardize the investigation or third parties. We apologize if the defender has not been informed about this. We have now informed the defender that he will receive the paperwork on Wednesday this week. The defendant was also legally arrested and charged with carrying a knife in a public place. There was a danger of evidence being lost at that time, he said.

The documents were determined, among other things, because Bhatti did not want to explain himself about the knife.

“The goal is to find out who owns the knife and we want an explanation from the accused why they are there,” Omholt told VG.

Bhatti’s legal counsel believes that the clause did not prevent him from receiving the documents early. Elden’s law firm requested the documents several times, also before the shootings in Oslo on June 25. Police replied no later than July 1 that “documents are on the way”.

– I have never heard of any clause, which in no case does not prevent the obligation to send. We pointed out that the arrests were illegal in April when we asked the court to try them on legality. Police responded by releasing Bhatti soon after, John Christian Elden wrote in a text message to VG on Tuesday morning.