During the hearing in the control committee at the Storting after the terror on the night of Saturday 25 June last year, there was a topic the politicians kept coming back to: What was actually said at a classified meeting of the Government’s security committee on Monday 27 June? – The committee has been given a good basis to be able to make up our minds about what actually happened on 27 June, but we are not quite there, says speaker Peter Frølich (H) to news. MANY QUESTIONS: Peter Frølich (H) in the Control and Constitution Committee led the hearing in the Storting. He had many questions about the meeting of the Government’s security committee (RSU) on 27 June. Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB During the meeting last year, police director Benedicte Bjørnland made a controversial decision: On the same afternoon that several thousand people wanted to show support and solidarity after the pride terror, she instructed the police chief in Oslo to recommend a postponement of the event. The background was “dangerous” information Bjørnland had received from the PST chief in the Government Security Committee (RSU) on Monday afternoon. In the RSU, the government discusses and decides on important issues related to security and preparedness. DEFYING COUNCIL: Many turned up for the commemoration at Rådhusplassen on the afternoon of Monday 27 June, despite the fact that Oslo Pride had canceled the commemoration on the recommendation of the police. Photo: Geir Olsen / NTB Central actors disagree with the committee In the meeting, then PST chief Roger Berg told about seven people who could be connected to the terror two days before. The people could be willing to sacrifice themselves and PST had no control over them. In PST there was fear that a suicide bomber could attack the marking. WARNING: Former PST chief says he had information that the attack had not ended, when he recommended a postponement of the solidarity marking. Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB The decision to recommend an adjournment was taken while the meeting was still in progress. Bjørnland did not check whether the Oslo police district had the same information. The committee that has evaluated PST and the police’s efforts after 25 June believes that the decision was a violation of human rights. Specifically, the right to assemble and express oneself in a peaceful assembly. EXPLAINED REPORT: Jacob Ravndal, committee leader Pia Therese Jansen and Christoffer Eriksen during the open hearing at the Storting on the mass shooting on 25 June last year. Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB The committee believes that the decision of the director of police was based on a misunderstanding. They have gone through what information the Oslo police district and PST had, and have concluded that the information picture of the two cannot have deviated significantly. But during the hearing it became increasingly clear that the most central players this Monday disagree with the committee. Asking questions SV leader Audun Lysbakken asked the then police chief in Oslo, Beate Gangås, for a clear answer to whether the Oslo police district had a significantly different information picture than PST on Monday afternoon. LISTENING: Audun Lysbakken (SV) and Seher Aydar (Red) during the open hearing in the Storting. Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB As police chief, Gangås was determined that the police should secure the marking, until the phone call from the Directorate of Police. – My absolutely definite opinion was that there was continuous new information in the RSU. There can be no doubt that Chief PST and the Director of Police relied on new information that I did not rely on, replied Gangås. GOT THE PHONE: It was the former police chief in Oslo, Beate Gangås, who was instructed to recommend the cancellation of the solidarity marking. The phone came on Monday at 1:27 p.m., just a few hours before the commemoration that was planned for the same afternoon. Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB – The committee believes that the information base was not that different. Is the committee wrong then?, asked Lysbakken. – I question how they can say that when they don’t know what came out in the RSU, Gangås replied. The committee has not been given access to the minutes from the meeting of the Government’s security committee (RSU). Venstres Grunde Almeland asked police director Benedicte Bjørnland if she had given the committee information about what was said in the meeting. FOCUSED ON THE MEETING: Venstres Grunde Almeland was concerned with the background for the solidarity marking being cancelled. Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB – I would like to claim that in my explanation to the committee we gave detailed information to the committee. But it has not been discussed by the committee, replied Bjørnland. Confident of the committee’s conclusion Now there will probably be an extra round in the hearing, says case mayor Peter Frølich (H). – We will probably invite the chairman of the committee for an additional hearing. It can provide some useful clarifications, says mayor Peter Frølich to news. Former committee member Christoffer Conrad Eriksen explained himself to the control committee on the first day of the hearing. TRYGG: – When it comes to the actual basis for the criticism, we have carried out thorough assessments of a number of pieces of information in a large amount of material, says Eriksen to news. Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB The professor says to news that he is still confident in the committee’s conclusion. He says the criticism is based on a thorough review. He also points out that the Minister of Justice said in the hearing that there were no factual errors in the report. – Based on this, I am still confident in the fact that has been described. – I can only speak for myself, but in the hearings there has been no concrete information that indicates that the committee has received information that is not correct, says Eriksen. Criticism changes “not at all” Former committee member Jacob Aasland Ravndal says the hearing does not change the strong criticism against Bjørnland. – Absolutely not. But we are surprised that they choose to present this in a way that we do not fully recognize, based on the information we have sat on, says Ravndal, who is a researcher at the Norwegian Police Academy. Former PST chief Roger Berg has told the committee that he based his statements in the Government’s security committee on the intelligence summaries and reports in PST. In an intelligence summary approved during the RSU meeting, the PST wrote that no information had been uncovered indicating subsequent planned attacks. – We have gone through these and compared it with the information that the Oslo police district put forward. The information in these reports and summaries is not significantly new, compared to the information Oslo police district had at the time, says Eriksen. According to Eriksen, the information about the seven people came from the Oslo police district. – The committee was aware that the information about the seven people came from Oslo police district, and that PST shared its assessments about them with Oslo police district. I and others can elaborate on the details to the control and constitution committee in a closed hearing, says Eriksen to news. He adds: – If the fact is different from what the committee has described, then the conclusion could have been different, but it would be surprising if the committee has not received correct information from those we spoke to. New tone from the director of police During the hearing, Benedicte Bjørnland’s tone was completely different from when she received the committee’s report this summer. On June 8, the director of police apologized. She said this to news: – Here we just have to humbly take in the findings that are available and look at learning points. SERIOUS: Director of Police Benedicte Bjørnland (left), chief PST Beate Gangås and Oslo’s police chief Ida Melbo Øystese during the presentation of the 25 June report. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB Now Bjørnland says that it was right to instruct the police in Oslo. – I maintain that it was right to recommend a postponement of the event. Since then, Bjørnland has received support from the Norwegian Institute for Human Rights (NIM), which is the Storting’s expert body. NIM believes that the committee’s findings do not involve a violation of human rights. – I have great respect for freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, but it has no significant value if you cannot save people’s lives, said Bjørnland. To news, Bjørnland says that she believes the committee’s report left questions related to the right to life, or the authorities’ duty to protect. – I think that is probably the most basic human right. It is the right to life and the authorities’ obligation to secure the citizens of the country, said the police director to news. The Minister of Justice believes that the Director of Police made the right decision. – I stood behind the police director’s decision at the time and I still do, said Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp) to news after the hearing. SUPPORTS BJØRNLAND: Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl says she supported the police director’s decision at the time and she still does. Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB Rødt: – Can’t write off the conclusion Committee member Seher Aydar in Rødt chose to show up outside Oslo City Hall on 27 June, despite the cancellation. MORE FROM RED: Several representatives of the Red party met on 27 June. Photo: Håkon Benjaminsen / news She believes that one cannot simply write off the conclusion from the committee. – We have to take it very seriously. The committee comes with a striking conclusion that the decision was a violation of the constitution and freedom of assembly, says Aydar to news. – No matter how you twist or turn it, it is information that we as elected officials cannot ignore. That does not mean that I do not recognize and take seriously what Bjørnland says in relation to the article on the right to life. I certainly do. I am not concluding what is the right assessment, but I am just saying that you cannot write off the committee’s conclusion when it is as striking as it is, says Aydar to news.
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