– The reason why we took the threats seriously is an overall assessment. The content of the threats. The context and the background, says police inspector Pål Jæger-Pedersen. It was on Thursday last week that the man allegedly sent Snapchat messages to a person who then contacted the police. In the messages, there must have been death threats against the mayor and deputy mayor in Hå municipality. – We have secured these messages, says Jæger-Pedersen. The police swooped in and arrested the man a short time later. They believe that the man’s behavior has changed recently, and that it had become more concrete and serious, partly because the threats were aimed at individuals. On 17 December, the man was detained for four weeks. The man pleads not guilty and believes the messages were not intended as concrete threats. Read what his defender Odd-Rune Torstrup says further down in the case. Large weapon seizures The reason why the police reacted as they did is the history of the man. He has previously been convicted of violence against a police officer and breach of the Weapons Act. He was convicted of importing several weapons from Germany to Norway. Among the seizures were Russian and Polish machine guns, ammunition and a rifle. He was convicted of violating eight sections of the Criminal Code and the Weapons Act. The man was sentenced to one year and two months in prison on 18 March 2021. See pictures of parts of the seizure below: In November of the same year, however, he was again charged. The prosecution described that the man had violated the provisions of the Arms Act in a “serious way”. The seizures had been made in June 2020 and contained, among other things: One shotgun Several rifles Several machine guns and pistols Two grenades 945 sharp cartridges Not all the weapons must be functional. According to the police, the main hearing in the latter criminal case must have been interrupted in February, when there were questions about the man’s sanity. “The accused’s attitude towards public authorities and handling of weapons underpins the accused’s potential to put power behind the death threats that he most likely made on Snapchat on 15/12/2022,” the imprisonment order from Saturday states. Fremmedkriger Filter nyheter, which first discussed the matter of the imprisonment order, and news have previously discussed the man’s involvement in neo-Nazi circles. This picture must have been posted by the man earlier. Photo: Private The man is also said to have been a foreign fighter in Ukraine, and is said to have confirmed himself that he took part in hostilities. He is said to have participated in what he calls the “cleansing” of Russians in a village. In the imprisonment order, reference is made to a photo of the man and deceased soldiers. “This substantiates that the accused has the capacity to commit serious acts of violence such as murder”. That is why the police intervened when the man sent the aforementioned snapchat messages. The ruling further states: “The accused must then have expressed that he could only promise that he would not carry out the threats on the same day or the following day, but that he could not promise anything after that”. – Not intended as threats Mayor of Hå municipality, Jonas Skrettingland, and deputy mayor Svein Høyland, have confirmed to news that the threats were against them. – I wasn’t scared, but it was uncomfortable. I have not experienced anything like this before, but it was handled well by the police, says the latter. Skrettingland believes he understood that the threats were against him because of his office, and not as a person. He explains that he has nothing unsaid with the man in his 20s. – But of course I take this seriously, says the mayor. Jonas Skrettingland is mayor of Hå municipality. He and deputy mayor Svein Høyland will today have a meeting with the police about the situation surrounding the death threats. Photo: Thomas Ystrøm / news The man in his 20s is being defended by Odd Rune Torstrup from the law firm Torstrup. He informs news that his client pleads not guilty. – In relation to the charge for which he is imprisoned, he does not plead guilty. He expresses that he did not mean the messages as threats, and had no intention, says the lawyer. – But is what is reproduced in the ruling about these messages correct? – It is correctly reproduced. The defender says the following about the weapon seizures: – He takes the same position in the weapons case. He has collected quite a few weapons, and is interested in weapons. Being an active collector is basically not punishable, says Torstrup. The defender also believes that the weapons that were seized must have been sealed, and thus not illegal. – We dispute that they are illegal, he says. Odd Rune Torstrup from the law firm Torstrup is the man’s defender. Photo: Petter Strøm / news Confirms that he was a foreign fighter – He has been a regular soldier in regular Ukrainian forces. It is not punishable. What is punishable is being part of IS, which is a terrorist organisation. He has helped defend Ukraine against an aggressive opponent, says the lawyer. The communications director for the International Legion in Ukraine could confirm to news that the man had been a soldier. – We have had no formal complaints about him while he was in the legion, wrote the communications director in November. – The court believes the man may be capable of murder because of what he has done in Ukraine, what do you think about that? – It must be at the court’s expense, but what he has done in Ukraine are legal actions, says Torstrup. He and the accused man will now consider whether to appeal the imprisonment order.
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Snapchat messages are said to have revealed possible murder plans – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
