OSLO, Norway – Mullah Krekar, a controversial Kurdish cleric who founded the extremist group Ansar al-Islam and has known ties to al-Qaeda, was sentenced by a Norwegian court Friday to 18 months in prison for threatening a fellow Kurd on television.
In addition, Krekar has to pay 75,000 Norwegian kronor (about Ş8,800) in compensation.
The 59-year Krekar, a Kurd from Iraq whose real name is Najmuddin Faraj Ahmad, threatened the Kurd, Halmat Goran, during a television interview with Norwegian TV NRK in February 2015.
Krekar had earlier issued a fatwa against Goran when the latter published a video several years ago in which he burned the Quran.
Krekar told NRK: “The responsibility to execute the punishment belongs to the Muslim community, whether he is in Norway or whether he is with Barack Obama.”
The Kurdish Islamist claimed that he did not threaten Goran, but Goran had to “fear Somalis, Indonesians, Africans, Chechens and all other Muslims.”
“Anyone who knows the punishment could kill him. I'll send a gift to him that kills him. Why should I not be happy about it?” Krekar told NRK.
Goran had to change his name and is now living at a secret address because of the threats.
The words from Krekar must be understood as a threat, according to the judge.
“The court is in no doubt that the statement should be understood as a call for a certain group of people to execute the punishment,” Judge Peter Blom said as he read the court’s decision against Krekar.
Krekar’s attoney, Brynjar Meling, said in a press release that his client will take “time to think” and not appeal the verdict. In addition, Meling believed that some of Krekar’s words have been taken out of context.
“The judgment has obvious weaknesses, including basing itself on an edited material,” the statement said. “Krekar believes that he has made the necessary provisions in the raw material.”
After the verdict, Krekar left the courtroom immediately, without giving comments.
Krekar was born in Sulaimani in the Iraqi Kurdistan region and is the father of four children. He completed a master’s degree in Islamic studies in Pakistan and moved to Norway in 1991. He established the Salafist jihadi group Ansar al-Islam in 1994.
Since 2006, Mullah Krekar has been on the United Nations’ terror list.
In 2012, he was sentenced to five years in prison in Norway for threatening to kill the then conservative politician Erna Solberg, who is now Norway’s prime minister. The appellate court later reduced his sentence to 34 months.
The Norwegian conservative party in 2002 raised the issue of national security and demanded his deportation.
Iraq has demanded his extradition for trial, but that has been denied by Norway, which prohibits the expulsion of an individual without a guarantee against the death penalty or torture.
In 2013, negotiations for Krekar’s deportation to Iraq failed, after Iraqi officials could not promise Norway that the cleric would not face torture or execution after deportation.
Krekar has also been accused of having helped establish a terrorist group in Germany. In March 2014, he was questioned in Oslo by German police. Ten people have been charged in the case.
