Back in March, Mullah Krekar warned of his plans to sue the Norwegian state after being held in prison for nine months. The controversial preacher is now seeking 200,000 in compensation for his tarnished reputation, Norwegian national broadcaster NRK reports.
According to the Court of Appeals, the statements Krekar had made were deemed insufficient as proof of a direct threat towards Goran. However, Krekar was found liable to civil reparations and was ordered to pay 40,000 kroner (roughly 5,000 dollars) to Goran in damages.
In an interview with NRK, which led to the threat charges, Krekar stated that "whoever insults Islam must know that he or she will die. They must understand that it is a life or death conflict,"
"The responsibility to execute the punishment belongs to the Muslim community, whether he is in Norway or whether he is with Barack Obama," Krekar also told NRK, claiming that Goran had to "fear Somalis, Indonesians, Africans, Chechens and all other Muslims."
The 59-year Krekar is an Iraqi-born Kurd who has been living in Norway since 1991, where he also 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 conservative politician Erna Solberg, who is now Norway's prime minister. Later, the Court of Appeals reduced his sentence to 34 months.
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 were charged in the case.
At present, Krekar faces extradition to Italy on charges of masterminding a number of terrorist plots.
