A total of 220 people have the status of aggrieved after the shooting at several nightclubs in the center of Oslo on 25 June. 36 of these only got legal aid after going through both the district court and the court of appeal. But Zaniar Matapour, who is charged with the shooting, believes the 36 victims do not have the right to legal aid and is appealing the decision to the Supreme Court. Inger Zadig from the Elden law firm is one of the defenders of terrorist suspect Zaniar Matapour. Photo: Elden law firm Inger Zadig from Elden law firm is one of Matapour’s defenders, and has written the appeal which has now been submitted. There she also refers to an incident in Oslo in July where Sian leader Lars Thorsen was hit. Thorsen was refused legal assistance by the Court of Appeal. – In two similar cases, the Borgarting Court of Appeal has used two different criteria for whether a legal aid lawyer should be appointed. Both cases are special and the aggrieved parties in both cases have an equal need for legal assistance. – Therefore, in our view, it is necessary for the Supreme Court to take a closer look at the decisions, says Zadig – Unnecessary additional burden Christian Lundin, the legal aid lawyer, believes that the appeal is a completely unnecessary additional burden for the aggrieved parties. Photo: Gøril Furu / news Assistance lawyer Christian Lundin represents several of the aggrieved parties in the appeal. – This is a completely unnecessary additional burden for the aggrieved, says Lundin. He also reacts to the Elden law firm mixing up two cases in the appeal. – At one moment Elden is defending Matapour, and at the next moment he is an assistant lawyer in this Sian case. And what he wants here is to bring these two cases together to get a joint assessment. Legal aid attorney Sigurd Klomsæt believes the appeal is very unusual. Photo: Berit Roald One of the other aid lawyers, Sigurd Klomsæt, calls the appeal very unusual. – I have never experienced this before nor heard of anyone else having it, says Klomsæt. – I understand it to mean that they want to limit the appointment of legal aid lawyers. I don’t think it’s up to a defender to say anything about that. Were first denied legal aid The 36 aggrieved had to go to court in order to have legal aid appointed at all. In July, the Oslo district court said that they had no right to legal assistance and rejected their applications. news has seen examples of the district court’s refusal, where it was written that the situation was not considered serious enough for several of those involved. But the Borgarting Court of Appeal overturned the decision. The Court of Appeal indicated to the police that everyone who was in and in the immediate vicinity of the London Pub was a potential target in the shooting. Everyone who could possibly bring civil claims in connection with the shooting, and needs help with that, should be appointed a legal aid lawyer, the Court of Appeal believes. The legal aid lawyers are now given the opportunity to comment on the appeal, before the Supreme Court considers whether it should be taken up for consideration. Several of those who have had to fight to get legal aid were among those who overpowered Zaniar Matapour and stopped the shooting. Photo: Camilla Svennæs Bergland
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Zaniar Matapour appeals the appointment of legal aid for several victims in the Oslo shooting – news Oslo og Viken – Local news, TV and radio
