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On Monday 19 October, a police officer from the Police Security Service arrived at Tvetenveien 152, where the Imam Ali central mosque is located, in the middle of an industrial zone. He was carrying a letter, which he was to preach in person. The letter contained a notice of deportation.
In an industrial area of Tveita is the Imam Ali Mosque, on the third floor of this building.
Photo: Lokman Ghorbani / NRK
The PST has asked the Ministry of Justice to consider expelling a religious leader on the grounds of fundamental national interests, but will not provide further information.
Basic national interests are a new concept, previously called national security.
As far as NRK knows, the man the PST wants has been expelled from the imam at a Shiite mosque in Tveita in Oslo.
He came from Iran to Norway in 2016 to work as a religious leader at the mosque.
The imam’s lawyer, Javeed Hussain Shah, says his client questions the reasons for the deportation.
This is from an event at the mosque. The Imam sits at the back of the room.
Photo: private
PST: Iran uses mosques for surveillance
Counterintelligence manager Hanne Blomberg heads the department of state actors at PST.
When asked if it is true that the imam wants to be deported because he works for Iranian intelligence, Blomberg answers the following:
– I don’t want to confirm it. But overall, I can say that we see in Europe that Iran uses religious centers and mosques as a platform for intelligence and surveillance of opposition figures. We have also seen this in Norway, says Blomberg.
From what NRK understands, it is very rare for a religious leader with a residence permit in Norway to be expelled.
Hanne Blomberg heads the department of state actors at PST.
Photograph: Wilhelm Sverdvik / NRK
Connection with Norwegian pirates convicted of plotting murder
One of the reasons the Imam wants to be deported is, NRK understands, that there should be a connection between the Imam and the Norwegian Iranian who is convicted and imprisoned in Denmark.
The Norwegian-Iranian was found guilty of espionage for Iranian intelligence and complicity in planning murders on Danish soil. He is now in a Danish prison. The assassination plots were not carried out.
The Imam disputes the information
Lawyer Javeed Hussain Shah represents the Imam. Shah says his client questions the information coming out of NRK.
– My client asks NRK to show criticism of the source, because it is a group originating from the Imam Ali center that has long tried to blacken the imam and the mosque, he says.
Shah says they have requested access to the documents in the case.
– The Imam will complain about the expulsion notice, says Shah.
NRK has been trying for several weeks to contact the magnet, without success.
– important
It is the Ministry of Justice that decides the case for the expulsion of the Imam. Justice Minister Monica Mæland tells NRK about the case:
– I have no comment on this individual case. In general, it is important for the PST to follow up and react when it believes that people or authorities from other countries are spying on Norway, it tells NRK.
Courses for women and children
NRK sources, who are familiar with the mosque, say that the imam’s task is to be the religious leader. He will lead prayers and ceremonies, teach courses for women and children, answer questions of faith, and answer questions about divorce and marriage.
This is the door of the mosque. NRK has tried several times to contact the imam, the first on October 20.
Photo: Lokman Ghorbani / NRK
The imam of the Shiite mosque in Tveita was granted residence in Norway because he was an alleged worker qualified as a religious leader. Religious leaders apply for a residence permit as a skilled labor force.
To obtain residency on this basis, the UDI establishes requirements for relevant education. The residence permit is granted for one year at a time. So far this year, eight religious leaders have obtained a residence permit in Norway, the UDI tells NRK.
Here, the Imam participates in a meeting in Oslo to mark the 30th anniversary of Ayatollah Khomeini’s death on June 3, 2019. To his left is the Iranian ambassador in Oslo.
Photo: private
“Basis for deportation”
Basic national interests, with which the PST justifies the expulsion notice, is a new concept. It replaces, among other things, kingdom security or overriding social considerations. In the 2018 Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness instructions on what the term covers, the ministry writes that it “may include topics such as espionage, sabotage, subversive activities, etc., generally in favor of another state. This includes actions, political activities, etc., which can affect relations with foreign states.
A 17-point list of what can lead to deportation mentions, among other things, pioneering refugees or whether there are reasons to assume that the foreigner works for foreign intelligence services.
It is not clear if the imam has already left the country.
The mosque receives 600,000 in state grants
The Tveia Mosque receives state subsidies from the state and the municipality, for each member. The mosque has 632 members and receives around 600,000 crowns in government grants. The Imam also sits on the board of the mosque.
The Imam Ali Center is one of several Shiite mosques in Norway and Oslo.
Pilgrimage for young Europeans in Iran
It is difficult to find images and clues on the Internet after the magnet. But he speaks in a 2016 interview, in Persian. The interview was conducted in Iran and he is introduced as an imam at the Tveita Mosque. The interview was conducted by the news agency of Shiite imams in Iran, Hozeh. The occasion is that he is involved in organizing trips for young European Shiites to Iran, to celebrate a holiday. He talks about the interest of European Shiites in Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
He says he is proud to have been able to bring groups of young Europeans to participate in such a pilgrimage. He says that this year groups from the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Germany and Belgium have participated in the event.
From what NRK understands, the interview was conducted just prior to his arrival in Norway.
