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Iraqi-born Islamist cleric in Norway terror trial
An Iraqi-born cleric pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of making death threats against politicians and encouraging suicide bombings.Prosecutors said Mullah Krekar, a 55-year-old Islamist who came to Norway as a refugee in 1991, faces several years in prison if found guilty by Oslo District Court. Since his arrival, Krekar has made frequent trips to Iraq where in 2001 he founded the Kurdish Ansar al-Islam, a group suspected of organizing suicide bombings against coalition forces in Iraq, and listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and other nations. In 2005, a Norwegian court declared Krekar a national security threat and ordered him deported, but later postponed the move because of concerns he could face execution or torture in Iraq. In June 2010, Krekar said at a news conference organized by the foreign press club in Oslo that if he were deported to Iraq and killed, Norwegian officials would "pay with their lives," according to a transcript included in the indictment presented in court. "If I die it will be the beginning of killings," he said, according to the transcript. Prosecutor Marit Bakkevig said Krekar had violated Norwegian terror laws by "threatening to commit murder for the purpose of creating fear in the society," which carries a maximum 12-year sentence. "The statements appear as persistent threats," she told the court. Krekar is also charged with trying to force a reversal of the deportation order by threatening officials, or obstructing the government from performing its duties, with a maximum prison sentence of 15 years. In addition, he has allegedly threatened several people on various websites, including three Kurds living in Norway, the prosecution said. Posted by: tipper 2012-02-16 |
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