Filmmaker Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen says he did not know the arrested 18-year-old before the police arrived at the door. – I realize that I’m sticking his hand into a wasp nest, says filmmaker who anyway was shocked.
It is bright tonight, Monday 8 June. It is soon superbowl in football between Norway and Sweden. Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen has followed the Islamic extremist groups in Norway for a long time. Now cinematographer and journalist Khan Farooq just come back from a Sweden tour. He stands in the workroom to Rolfsen in the basement in the apartment and takes a couple of slices of bread. Together they talk a bit about what’s happened. Then there was a knock at the door. Three police officers from the Police Security Service (PST) has come to retrieve film material.
Had ticket to Greece
Front ahead had journalist Khan Farooq been with 18-year-old and Ubaydullah Hussain on car journeys from Norway to Sweden. The road trip ended with the 18-year-old was arrested as he was about to go on a flight from Gothenburg to Rhodes in Greece in time 6:50 Monday morning. PST believes the ultimate goal for the trip was Syria, and that 18-year-old, who should have been radicalized in an extreme environment in Eastern Norway, intended to join the IS.
Why was Hussain with?
Movie recording trip to Gothenburg was obviously so important for the police that they chose to request a search warrant at a filmmaker, a step they had to know would create huge protests. The purpose may be to clarify what role Ubaydullah Hussain may have played in relation to the alleged recruitment of IS.
– The charges against 18-year-old is currently the only accusation, says information Martin Bernsen in PST.
Still characterized by raid
Journalist Farooq Khan and filmmaker Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen has status as witnesses in the case.
Yesterday Rolfsen said that he is still “shaky.”
– The policemen presented a document from the prosecutor, they said that it was necessity and searches directly involved. I tried to argue against seizure. It was sooo tricky, and they gave no alternatives. I was allowed to copy the material and keep it.
PST informed yesterday that they have sealed material seized and that they will ask the court to decide if they can see through it.
– We have filmed Hussain since January last year, over eighteen months. 18-year-old I’ve never heard of before. We did not know in advance what was going to happen, says Rolfsen.
– What was the exact course of events?
– I will not comment just work my methods, I must have some secrets to documentary . The police did, however, very much about the 18-year-old.
Now fear Rolfsen that the rest of the work on the film can be influenced by police seizure.
– I’m not finished the film yet, and do not know if sources will now dare to come forward. What I am afraid of the future is that people will say to themselves that if I talk to Ulrik, the police come and take me. It can be devastating for me. I understand of course that this is controversial to make films about, I make this because I’m curious. I realize that I’m sticking his hand into a wasp nest, it is not sorry for me, but I do not think the PST would have gone into Aftenposten. I was alone with Khan Farooq. They knew he was there. That was it.
The suspect 18-year-old is prepared for remand in Oslo District Court today. He sat yesterday in questioning by PST.
– He denies having planned to join the terrorists and do not understand why he was arrested in Gothenburg, says 18-year-old defender John Christian Elden told NRK.
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