The case in summary Bjarne Finsrud and Bjørn Yngve Bjørneseth were present during the terrorist attack in Oslo on 25 June 2022. They helped to avert a major tragedy. Finsrud was the first to deal with terrorist defendant Zaniar Matapour. Bjørneseth was among the civilians who held him until the police arrived. on Monday, Finsrud will receive the medal for noble deed in gold, while Bjørneseth and eleven others will receive the medal in silver. Both are looking forward to the trial to get answers to unanswered questions. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. Although parts of the night have disappeared from his memory, Bjarne Finsrud (41) remembers certain moments well. He remembers the fear of death on the faces of those sitting outside the London Pub. He remembers glass shattering, chairs and tables overturning as people ran over each other in panic, fleeing for their lives. He remembers the fear that spread through his body when his roommate Bjørn Yngve Bjørneseth (39) disappeared from sight, just before more shots were fired. Did the man he has shared his life with for the past 20 years get killed? Two people were killed and many injured after the shooting at London Pub and Per på Hjørnet on 25 June 2022. Photo: Javad Parsa / NTB – Extraordinary effort Finsrud was the very first to deal with Matapour on the night of 25 June 2022. In the evening two people were killed and many more injured. On Monday, he will receive the medal for noble deeds in gold. The medal is awarded in gold for an act of rescue where the rescuer has put his own life at risk. Eleven others receive the medal in silver, including partner Bjørn Yngve Bjørneseth. For the first time, the cohabiting couple is appearing in the media with their story. Medal for noble deeds The medal is very rarely awarded Was instituted in Norway in 1885 The gold medal is ranked as the 7th highest honor that can be awarded in Norway The silver medal is ranked as number 14 The condition for awarding is that the rescuer has acted for to save human life and has put his own life in danger Handed out by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, because such rescues have often occurred at sea The medal has previously been awarded to: Silver: A person who lost his life when he saved a child from drowning on Karmøy 2021 Gold and silver: Two people after the attack on the Al-Noor mosque in 2019 Gold and silver: 21 people who participated in the rescue work after the terror on Utøya in 2011 Silver: One person for their efforts in the Government Quarter during the terror in 2011 The medal is awarded by The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, because such rescues have most often occurred at sea. Fisheries and Oceans Minister Cecilie Myrseth has previously said that it is very rare that the medal is awarded. – The civilians made an absolutely extraordinary effort, and with this medal we want to honor each and every one of them. “Now or never” A few minutes before Zaniar Matapour gets off the tram at the Tinghuset in central Oslo, Finsrud and Bjørneseth go outside to have a smoke. The rush of laughter, cheers and shouting is broken by what they think are fireworks. The sequence of events is unclear. Both remember broken pieces, but it is difficult to place the puzzle pieces correctly. At the same time, there are parts they think they can be sure of: Matapour starts fiddling with the machine gun. Finsrud thinks “it’s now or never”, takes a bet and runs right into the 44-year-old accused of terrorism. The picture above should show the moment Bjarne Finsrud (left) runs into Zaniar Matapour (centre). The picture above should show the moment Bjarne Finsrud (left) runs into Zaniar Matapour (centre). – The idea was really just that here you have to try to do something, recalls Finsrud. As the cohabiting couple remember it, Bjørneseth is on his way to Finsrud after the tackle, but before he gets there, Matapour pulls out a gun. Both Bjørneseth and Matapour disappear out of Finsrud’s sight, who stays on the machine gun. Terrible thoughts race through his head. Bjarne Finsrud. Photo: Frode Fjerdingstad / NRKBjarne Finsrud. Photo: Frode Fjerdingstad / news – I heard new shots being fired after they had run. Finsrud called out the name of the roommate several times, but got no answer. – I was afraid that he had been killed, he says. – A face I will never forget Matapour was chased down the street by civilians, who eventually put him on the ground and held him. Bjørneseth was the third to rise above the murderer. – I remember I had a violent anger in me, so I attacked him. Fortunately, there was someone else there who pulled me away to calm me down, he says. Bjørn Yngve Bjørneseth. Photo: Frode Fjerdingstad / NRKBjørn Yngve Bjørneseth. Photo: Frode Fjerdingstad / news Even for him, the evening appears unclear. One thing that remains clear is Matapour’s face. – I have never seen such an angry person before, or someone with such an expression. The anger showed so well in his eyes. It is a face I will never forget, he says. When the police arrived and arrested Matapour, Bjørneseth went back to his roommate. – I was very happy to see him again. There are feelings that are difficult to describe, says Finsrud. Unanswered questions The time afterwards has been challenging. It has been nice being two, but also difficult. – For my part, it has been quite tough to see how Bjarne has felt afterwards, says Bjørneseth. Finsrud became afraid of creaking doors and strangers on the street. – I was locked in a bubble where my head played tricks on itself that I finally believed. I sat with so many thoughts and questions that I didn’t get answers to, he says. Bjørn Yngve Bjørneseth (left) and Bjarne Finsrud (right). Photo: Frode Fjerdingstad / NRKBjørn Yngve Bjørneseth (left) and Bjarne Finsrud (right). Photo: Frode Fjerdingstad / news The dark times have been characterized by pondering. What actually happened? Could they have done more? – It is important for me to get answers to what happened, and what I was involved in, says Bjørneseth. – When there are black fields in the memory, the head begins with a train of thought and creates its own explanations, which are probably not correct. It will be a nice soup, he adds. Therefore, it will be good when the trial starts on March 12. Two months have been set aside for the case. It will be an opportunity to fill in the rest of the puzzle, they say. – An acknowledgment When they are asked what it will be like to receive a medal for a noble deed, they remain silent. They look at each other a bit searchingly, before Finsrud says it’s “a bit strange”. It’s nice to be honored, but he wishes the incident behind the medal never happened. – It is so terribly sad to know that two people were killed and that so many were injured. It’s nice to have a medal, but of course it gives a strong aftertaste, he says. Bjørneseth would ideally have been both a terror and a medal besides, him too. – At the same time, it is recognition that we have done something right, he says.
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Receives medal for noble deed after 25 June terror – tackled Zaniar Matapour – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
