Reversal Decision in the Court of Appeals
The Court of Appeal in Iceland reached a verdict yesterday, resulting in the release of two men who were in custody since September on suspicion of planning terrorist acts and weapons offenses.
The men, who had been held primarily in solitary confinement, were initially kept in custody following a ruling by the District Court of Reykjavík on December 9th. Their continued detention was challenged, leading to an appeal in the Court of Appeal.
Defense lawyer Sveinn Andri Sveinsson explained the reason for their release was a judge-appointed assessor's conclusion that the defendants posed no danger to anyone, neither themselves nor others. According to Sveinsson, a final psychiatric evaluation, given to the Court of Appeal, provided the same result as the preliminary assessment.
While the district court had previously stated that the police's risk assessment could be based on criteria other than the psychiatric assessment, the court's decision to release the men was based on the final psychiatric evaluation. The ruling confirmed that there were no grounds to hold the men in custody under Article 95 (d) of the Act on Criminal Procedure, which governs dangerous persons.
However, Sveinsson noted that the nature of the case has changed with the men's release, as the case may no longer proceed at its original pace.
Despite the release, prosecutor Karl Ingi Vilbergsson emphasized that the ruling does not affect the District Attorney's case against the men. Initially, the two were scheduled to remain in custody until January 6th.
Vilbergsson stated that the court's ruling will be published, speaking for itself. He declined to express his opinion on the matter while acknowledging that he has one.
There is no indication in recent search results that the Icelandic case involves new charges or legal implications for the suspects after their release from custody. Further details may require consulting direct Icelandic judicial or news sources specializing in the case.
- The release of the two men, despite being initially suspected of planning terrorist acts and weapons offenses, could potentially lead to a shift in the pace of the general-news case, according to defense lawyer Sveinn Andri Sveinsson.
- Although the prosecutor, Karl Ingi Vilbergsson, declined to express his opinion on the Court of Appeal's decision, he acknowledged that he has one, highlighting the ongoing crime-and-justice case against the two men, despite their recent release.
