Journalist Espen Teigen and presenter Jannicke Almenning were due to deliver speeches at a memorial gathering for Maren Sømme, who was murdered in Jæren. On the very day of the event, both speakers were cancelled following serious allegations from the far left.

Updated: 14:45 – Document has confirmed that the memorial gathering has been cancelled.

Earlier this week, it was announced that a memorial gathering for Maren Sømme would be held at Youngstorget at 17:00. She was killed in Jæren in what has been described as a gruesome murder. The man charged with the killing is the Afghan Nawid Bayan, who was expelled from Norway in 2011 but could not be returned because it was considered “too dangerous” in Afghanistan.

Both presenter Jannicke Almenning and journalist Espen Teigen were listed as speakers. The latter has a background in justice policy and has worked as a political adviser at the Ministry of Justice.

However, at 13:50 on Friday, the opposite message arrived. The far left had made serious allegations against Teigen and Almenning, claiming that they are part of the “far right” and therefore could not participate in a memorial gathering for Maren Sømme.

“It is absolutely outrageous to me that people on the left are so radical that they cannot commemorate a life that has been lost together with people who hold different political views,” says Espen Teigen.

He reacts to the fact that the only people remaining at the gathering are those representing parties that do not want to deport Afghans, out of concern that it is “too dangerous” to return them to their home country after they have been expelled for criminal activity.