Norway mosque suspect remanded to custody

A Norwegian man suspected of killing his stepsister and opening fire in a mosque near Oslo this weekend was remanded in custody on Monday, suspected of murder, and a “terrorist act” that police say he filmed himself.

The man, identified as 21-year old Philip Manshaus, appeared in the Oslo court with two black eyes and scrapes and bruises on his face, neck and hands, probably obtained when he was overpowered at the mosque.

Police say he has “extreme right views” and “xenophobic positions” and that he had filmed the mosque attack with a GoPro camera mounted on a helmet.

The Norway incident comes amid a rise in white supremacy attacks around the world.

Manshaus is formally suspected of murdering his 17-year-old stepsister, and of a “terrorist act” at the Al-Noor mosque on Saturday, allegations he has rejected.

In Norway, being formally named as a suspect is a step prior to indictment.

Manshaus entered the courtroom smiling to cameras, wearing dark clothes and his hair cut short. He asked to be released, his lawyer Unni Fries said after the hearing.

“He rejects the allegations and exercises his right to not explain himself,” she said.

The court cited “reasonable grounds” to suspect Manshaus had committed the criminal acts and remanded him in custody for four weeks, as police had requested.

Police official Pal-Fredrik Hjort Kraby told a press conference that Manshaus had worn a helmet equipped with a camera during the attack “which was filming and has provided us with important evidence.”

The court said he will be kept in “complete isolation” for the first two weeks.

Manshaus is accused of entering the mosque in the affluent Oslo suburb of Baerum armed with at least two weapons and opening fire before he was overpowered by a 65-year-old man who suffered minor injuries. Just three worshippers were in the mosque at the time.

 Hours after the attack, the body of a young woman was found in a home in Baerum and police on Monday identified her as Johanne Zhangjia Ihle-Hansen, Manshaus’ 17-year-old stepsister.

Local media said she was of Chinese origin and had been adopted by the companion of Manshaus’ father.

Agence France-Presse