Suspect Denies All Ties With Far-Right Extremism, Lawyer Says

A lawyer for a man arrested last week on suspicion of conspiring to commit a terrorist attack says his client is innocent of these charges, and that contrary to previous reports has no ties whatsoever to any far-right extremist groups.

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As reported, the man in question and one other had reportedly been manufacturing firearms using 3D printing technology. In raids in both Kopavogur and Mosfellsbær last Wednesday, police seized dozens of firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Police said at a press conference the day after that they had been investigating these men for weeks, and that the suspects were planning to attack certain government offices. They added that they are still investigating whether these men have ties to extremist groups abroad. Sources close to Stundin and Morgunblaðið both indicated that such a connection was there.

Ómar Örn Bjarnþórsson, the lawyer for the man in question, says that his client was not planning to attack police officers at their yearly party or Parliament, as was previously contended.

“He denies these charges and has no idea what the police are contending, what he was conspiring to do,” he said. When asked what then he and another suspect were planning to do, the lawyer replied: “I cannot comment on particular details that have come forward during police questioning or in evidence related to the case.”

Ómar said that his client has been cooperative with the police, granting them password access to his phone and computer.

When asked if his client has connections to any far right groups, Ómar said, “Not that I’ve seen,” adding that he has no idea where the police got this information from.

On the subject of why his client was involved in printing 3D guns and what he planned to do with them, the lawyer replied, “I cannot comment on that.”