Isis-linked Norwegian woman denies charges in terror case
A woman on trial in Oslo has denied charges of supporting the Islamic State (Isis) terror group in Syria.
The 30-year-old woman’s trial is underway at the district court in Oslo. She answered “no” when the charges were read out to her on Monday, Norwegian media reported.
The trial, which is expected to take four weeks, has gained significant attention in Norway after the woman was returned to the country from the al-Hol refugee camp in northern Syria. The woman, who has two children, was arrested after arriving at Oslo Airport.
One of her children was seriously ill when the family of three was returned to Oslo.
Disagreement over the decision to bring the woman and children back to Norway on humanitarian grounds resulted in the breakup of the former coalition government in January 2020.
The anti-immigration Progress Party stepped down from Erna Solberg’s government at the time, having criticized the decision, arguing that that the risk of allowing a person linked to Isis into Norway outweighs the country's humanitarian duty to help the child.
READ ALSO: Populist party quits Norwegian government over jihadi spouse repatriation
The woman was born in Pakistan, first arrived in Norway as a child and grew up in Oslo.
She left an Isis-controlled area of eastern Syria in March 2019 and was subsequently accommodated at al-Hol.
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The 30-year-old woman’s trial is underway at the district court in Oslo. She answered “no” when the charges were read out to her on Monday, Norwegian media reported.
The trial, which is expected to take four weeks, has gained significant attention in Norway after the woman was returned to the country from the al-Hol refugee camp in northern Syria. The woman, who has two children, was arrested after arriving at Oslo Airport.
One of her children was seriously ill when the family of three was returned to Oslo.
Disagreement over the decision to bring the woman and children back to Norway on humanitarian grounds resulted in the breakup of the former coalition government in January 2020.
The anti-immigration Progress Party stepped down from Erna Solberg’s government at the time, having criticized the decision, arguing that that the risk of allowing a person linked to Isis into Norway outweighs the country's humanitarian duty to help the child.
READ ALSO: Populist party quits Norwegian government over jihadi spouse repatriation
The woman was born in Pakistan, first arrived in Norway as a child and grew up in Oslo.
She left an Isis-controlled area of eastern Syria in March 2019 and was subsequently accommodated at al-Hol.
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