Reversal decision upheld by the Court of Appeals

**"Pow, they're outta jail! A kickass verdict just dropped from the Court of Appeal," said Sveinn Andri Sveinsson yesterday, but he stands as the lawyer for one of the alleged terrorists embroiled in Iceland's pioneering terror case.

These two lads have been locked up since September 21st under suspicion of plotting terror attacks and illegal possession of firearms. Mostly, they've been languishing in solitary confinement.

The District Court of Reykjavík's decision on December 9th, maintaining their detention, was brought before the Court of Appeal.

A final psychiatric evaluation swung the verdict

Sveinsson spills the beans about their release, attributing it to a judge-appointed assessor's recent report that finds the defendants in the case pose no threat to themselves or others.

Sveinn Andri Sveinsson shares that the assessment in question was initially preliminary. A final evaluation occurred today, which was shared with the Court of Appeal, and, just like the prelim, it reached the same conclusion.

The district court previously opined and the Court of Appeal concurred that the police's risk assessment could rely on criteria other than the psychiatric assessment.

"The Icelandic court kept on sticking to these decisions, but today they did a 180 and agreed that with this updated psychiatric evaluation in hand, there's no grounds left to keep them clapped up on the count of Article 95 (d) of the first paragraph of [the Act on Criminal Procedure], which deals with keeping potentially dangerous individuals."

Sveinsson asserts that the nature of the case has shifted with the lads no longer in custody. "The case ain't progressin' at its usual pace."

The show goes on

Karl Ingi Vilbergsson, the prosecutor for the District Attorney's office, clarifies that the Court of Appeal's ruling to set free the suspects in the terror case won't impact the District Attorney's case against them.

The two blokes have been locked up since September on suspicion of concocting terror plots and illegal gun possession, set to remain caged until January 6.

A weakened case?

"No way! This ruling's got nothing to do with the case. It's a separate kettle of fish," Vilbergsson tells mbl.is.

When asked how the Court of Appeal's decision can release men who've been detained for investigative and public safety reasons and charged with attempted terrorism for serious criminal gun offenses, he directs the focus back to the Court's verdict.

"This ruling by the Court of Appeal will be out in the open. It speaks for itself."

Keeping your mouth shut, are ya?

"I got plenty to say on the matter, but ain't gonna spit it out," says Vilbergsson."

Sveinn Andri Sveinsson, the lawyer for one of the suspects in Iceland's pioneering terror case, shared that the release of his clients was due to a final psychiatric evaluation that found they pose no threat to themselves or others.
The Court of Appeal's decision to release the suspects, who were accused of plotting terror attacks and illegally possessing firearms, was based on a psychiatric evaluation that concurred with the initial preliminary assessment.
The Court of Appeal agreed with the updated psychiatric evaluation, stating that there are no longer grounds to keep the suspects in detention under Article 95 (d) of the Act on Criminal Procedure, which deals with potentially dangerous individuals.
Sveinsson stated that the nature of the terror case has shifted with the suspects no longer in custody, suggesting that the case's progression may be affected by their release.
Karl Ingi Vilbergsson, the prosecutor for the District Attorney's office, clarified that the Court of Appeal's ruling will not impact the District Attorney's case against the suspects and that this ruling is a separate matter from the ongoing case.
Vilbergsson expressed that while he had much to say on the matter, he was not going to comment further on the Court of Appeal's decision to release the suspects.