Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09OSLO713
2009-11-13 17:23:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Oslo
Cable title:
ARFAN BHATTI'S COURT RE-TRIAL DELAYED FROM
how-toVZCZCXRO7801 PP RUEHIK DE RUEHNY #0713 3171723 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 131723Z NOV 09 FM AMEMBASSY OSLO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7971 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RHMFIUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
UNCLAS OSLO 000713
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR DS, CA, S/CT, INR, DS/IP, EUR/NB
COPENHAGEN, STOCKHOLM, LONDON FOR RSO AND LEGATT
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC KCRM PTER PREL NO
SUBJECT: ARFAN BHATTI'S COURT RE-TRIAL DELAYED FROM
NOVEMBER 2009 TO MAY 2010
REF: OSLO 403 AND PREVIOUS
UNCLAS OSLO 000713
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR DS, CA, S/CT, INR, DS/IP, EUR/NB
COPENHAGEN, STOCKHOLM, LONDON FOR RSO AND LEGATT
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC KCRM PTER PREL NO
SUBJECT: ARFAN BHATTI'S COURT RE-TRIAL DELAYED FROM
NOVEMBER 2009 TO MAY 2010
REF: OSLO 403 AND PREVIOUS
1. (SBU) Arfan Bhatti, who was convicted of grave vandalism
in the shooting of the Oslo synagogue in 2006 and was also
the accused ringleader of an alleged plot against the U.S.
and Israeli embassies (Reftel and previous),was supposed to
be re-tried on November 5 and 6 in the Court of Appeals in
Oslo on a separate, unrelated attempted murder charge which
was overruled by Norway's Supreme Court in June 2009. On
November 5, Embassy staff called the court to confirm the
start of the re-trial, only to find that the judge had
decided to postpone the trial to May 18, 2010. The reason
given for this sudden and significant delay was that the
judge decided the trial requires four days, not two as
originally planned, and that the first available time slot to
accommodate four days in a row was May 18, 2010. The re-trial
had already been delayed at least twice -- from August to
October, and then to November 5.
2. (SBU) Embassy RSO and RAO spoke separately to their
contacts in Norway's Police Security Service (PST) November 9
and 10. PST reported to them that, with this delay, Bhatti
is now no longer required to report in person daily to the
PST, as he has been required to do since his release from
prison in June. Instead, he now falls under the Oslo Police
department's jurisdiction. PST said that this change was due
to the fact that the court had determined that under
Norwegian law, Bhatti is not considered part of a terrorist
organization, but rather as purely criminal. Finally, while
Norwegian authorities have until now been in possession of
Bhatti's passport, PST contacts said they anticipate Bhatti's
lawyer will try to have the passport returned to him for the
period leading up to the new re-trial date in May. Despite
these developments, PST assured RSO and RAO that they have a
good plan in place to track Bhatti, if only indirectly, at
least during the context of the upcoming POTUS visit.
3. (SBU) Post expects to receive additional information on
this and other matters from PST in the form of PST's overall
threat assessment for the upcoming POTUS visit. We will
follow up with PST and other relevant elements of the
Government of Norway as warranted based on that threat
assessment, in close coordination with the Secret Service.
WHITE
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR DS, CA, S/CT, INR, DS/IP, EUR/NB
COPENHAGEN, STOCKHOLM, LONDON FOR RSO AND LEGATT
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC KCRM PTER PREL NO
SUBJECT: ARFAN BHATTI'S COURT RE-TRIAL DELAYED FROM
NOVEMBER 2009 TO MAY 2010
REF: OSLO 403 AND PREVIOUS
1. (SBU) Arfan Bhatti, who was convicted of grave vandalism
in the shooting of the Oslo synagogue in 2006 and was also
the accused ringleader of an alleged plot against the U.S.
and Israeli embassies (Reftel and previous),was supposed to
be re-tried on November 5 and 6 in the Court of Appeals in
Oslo on a separate, unrelated attempted murder charge which
was overruled by Norway's Supreme Court in June 2009. On
November 5, Embassy staff called the court to confirm the
start of the re-trial, only to find that the judge had
decided to postpone the trial to May 18, 2010. The reason
given for this sudden and significant delay was that the
judge decided the trial requires four days, not two as
originally planned, and that the first available time slot to
accommodate four days in a row was May 18, 2010. The re-trial
had already been delayed at least twice -- from August to
October, and then to November 5.
2. (SBU) Embassy RSO and RAO spoke separately to their
contacts in Norway's Police Security Service (PST) November 9
and 10. PST reported to them that, with this delay, Bhatti
is now no longer required to report in person daily to the
PST, as he has been required to do since his release from
prison in June. Instead, he now falls under the Oslo Police
department's jurisdiction. PST said that this change was due
to the fact that the court had determined that under
Norwegian law, Bhatti is not considered part of a terrorist
organization, but rather as purely criminal. Finally, while
Norwegian authorities have until now been in possession of
Bhatti's passport, PST contacts said they anticipate Bhatti's
lawyer will try to have the passport returned to him for the
period leading up to the new re-trial date in May. Despite
these developments, PST assured RSO and RAO that they have a
good plan in place to track Bhatti, if only indirectly, at
least during the context of the upcoming POTUS visit.
3. (SBU) Post expects to receive additional information on
this and other matters from PST in the form of PST's overall
threat assessment for the upcoming POTUS visit. We will
follow up with PST and other relevant elements of the
Government of Norway as warranted based on that threat
assessment, in close coordination with the Secret Service.
WHITE