Mullah Krekar (right) and his lawyer Harald Stabell at
the beginning of the Supreme process last month.
PHOTO: Bjørn Sigurdsøn / SCANPIX
Krekar can go.
Norway's Supreme Court ruled Thursday afternoon to uphold the previous court decisions ruling that controversial mullah Krekar can be expelled from Norway.| Related stories: |
| Contradictory Krekar - 10.10.2007 |
| Mullah Krekar linked to pro al-Qaida sites - 09.10.2007 |
| Krekar back in court - 13.09.2007 |
| Quicker expulsions wanted - 02.02.2007 |
| Krekar tops terrorist lists - 08.12.2006 |
| Government to assess Krekar's freedom of movement - 29.11.2006 |
| Krekar can be expelled - 22.11.2006 |
| Will never go - 31.10.2006 |
| Expelling Krekar can take years - 25.07.2006 |
| Krekar feared CIA plot - 19.07.2006 |
| Iraqi deportations begin, except Krekar's - 19.07.2006 |
| Krekar honors al-Zarqawi - 22.06.2006 |
| Krekar's mother-in-law granted residence permission - 04.04.2006 |
| Iraq wants Krekar extradited - 09.09.2005 |
| Islamic 'warriors' urged to protect Krekar - 13.07.2005 |
The decision means that there will not be another round of trials but does not mean the founder of the Islamist Kurdish guerilla group Ansar al-Islam will be leaving Norway soon - Norwegian authorities still refuse to deport people to north Iraq, where Krekar is from.
In 2003 then Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Erna Solberg instructed the Directorate of Immigration (UDI) and Immigration Appeals Board (UNE) to begin deportation proceedings.
This decision was based on Krekar's violation of the Immigrant act - he repeatedly visited Iraq after gaining asylum in Norway - and his classification as a threat to national security.
Krekar has failed to overturn Solberg's decision, losing cases in Oslo Court, Borgarting Court of Appeals and now the Supreme Court.
Krekar, born Najmuddin Faraj Ahmad, came to Norway as a quota refugee in 1991.
He has been accused of links to al-Qaida. The United States believes some members of the al-Qaida terrorist network fled Afghanistan and joined Ansar al-Islam before the war in Iraq.
Krekar was awarded damages after being arrested in the Netherlands and detained there for four months, where he was interrogated by US intelligence agents.
Jordan tried to extradite Krekar from the Netherlands on drugs charges, but he was deported back to Norway in January 2003.
The violation of the terms of his asylum in Norway is the basis of his legal expulsion, the question of a threat to national security was not pursued since some of the evidence is classified.
Jostein Ihlebæk
Aftenposten English Web Desk
Jonathan Tisdall
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