It is not a criminal offence to praise terrorist attacks, according to the Trøndelag Police District, which has discontinued the case against NTNU professor Bassam Hussein. During a meeting at the Literature House in Trondheim, he described Hamas’ massacre on 7 October 2023 as “the most beautiful thing that has happened in this century”. Jewish activist On Elpeleg says the decision will be appealed.
“Absolutely unbelievable! The police have discontinued the case — it is no longer safe for Jews, or anyone else, in Norway,” wrote On Elpeleg in the Facebook group “Stop Antisemitism on NRK”, sharing images of the letter from the Trøndelag Police District notifying him that the complaint against Bassam Hussein had been discontinued.
The letter is headed: “Notification of Decision in a Case”.
Discontinued as alleged hate speech
“Complaint No. 1: HUSSEIN, Bassam – decision dated 08.07.2026. Case No. xxxx. Hate speech – religion, discontinued on 08.07.2026. The case has been discontinued because the reported conduct does not constitute a criminal offence,” the police write in the decision, noting that the investigation was conducted by Arild Hopsø, while Sunniva Tronvoll served as the prosecuting lawyer responsible for the case.
Reported under three statutory provisions
It was On Elpeleg who reported Bassam Hussein to the police at the end of April. He argued that the NTNU professor’s widely publicised praise of the terrorist attack in Israel on 7 October 2023 violated three provisions of the Norwegian Penal Code: Section 185 on hate speech, Section 183 on incitement to commit a criminal offence, and Section 108 on incitement to commit, or conspiracy to commit, genocide or crimes against humanity — the latter carrying a maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment.
“Norway has a particular historical and moral responsibility to prevent antisemitism and any renewed attempts to commit genocide against Jews, precisely because Jews have already experienced genocide on Norwegian soil. The Norwegian authorities therefore bear a special responsibility to prevent such glorification of terrorism and mass murder from spreading in the public sphere,” Elpeleg wrote in his complaint.
Lost Jewish relatives during the war
Elpeleg himself is Jewish and lost half of his family during the Second World War.
In his complaint, he pointed out that Hussein’s statement had been made publicly and referred to the recording available on YouTube.
The press has also “discontinued” the case
A few days after On Elpeleg received notification that the case against Bassam Hussein had been discontinued, he concluded that not only the Norwegian police, but also the Norwegian press, had effectively “discontinued” the matter. According to Elpeleg, a number of international media outlets have reported that Norwegian police dropped the case concerning the praise of the 7 October terrorist attack. So far, however, only a few smaller Norwegian media outlets, such as Dagen and Vårt Land, have covered the decision, while none of the major media organisations have done so.
Glorification – dangerous for everyone
On Elpeleg believes it is a dangerous development when both the media and the police dismiss such a case.
“When the Norwegian police discontinue a case involving the glorification of an anti-Jewish and genocidal organisation in Norway, it ought to be reported and debated — both by politicians and by the media. This is not only about Norway’s moral obligation to protect the Jews of Norway after the failure of the Second World War, when almost half of Norway’s Jews were murdered after Norwegian police arrested them and helped deport them to Auschwitz.
Today it is us Jews. Tomorrow it may be others. No, this also concerns you and everyone else who is not Jewish. Hamas is not hostile only to Jews. Its extremist ideology is also directed against others whom it regards as ‘infidels’.”
The discontinuation reported internationally
Not only Jewish and Israeli media have reported the discontinuation of the Hussein case, including The Jerusalem Post, Ynet and Israel Hayom. The case has also been covered by a Hungarian newspaper, by a Jewish newspaper in the United Kingdom, by the Italian website Setteottobre, and by Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
When Bassam Hussein was reported to the police for praising terrorism, The Jerusalem Post contacted the leadership of NTNU. The newspaper spoke with Vikas Thakur, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at NTNU, who stated that NTNU bore no responsibility for the event because it had been held off campus.
When asked whether NTNU regarded Hussein’s remarks as glorification of terrorism, Thakur replied: “We understand that the statement may be perceived that way,” but added that “he was speaking as an individual citizen with a background from Gaza, not on behalf of the university.”
Hussein was nevertheless introduced as a professor at the meeting where he praised terrorism.
He was also introduced as an Associate Professor at NTNU during the not particularly Israel-friendly meeting in November 2023, where Espen Barth Eide failed to arrive in time and where Israel was put in the dock just one month after 1,200 Israelis had been massacred — women, children, the elderly and babies were shown no mercy. That is to say, the very terrorism Bassam Hussein has praised on several occasions. During this period, he has been promoted at NTNU.
Professor at Norway’s largest university praises terrorist – Rector says it’s protected speech
Praised Sinwar in central Trondheim
Bassam Hussein has also praised the now deceased Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the terrorist believed to have been the mastermind behind the 7 October attacks. This took place openly in central Trondheim in February, at an event organised by the local Palestine Committee, which enthusiastically took part in the tribute. Rector Tor Grande told Document that such statements fall within the scope of freedom of expression for a professor employed by NTNU.
The same freedom of expression was not extended to NTNU employee Øyvind Eikrem when he was suspected of having said something deemed undesirable about immigration and related issues — something that, in any event, was never proven.
For several years, the Norwegian authorities have introduced a number of action plans against hate speech and similar offences, in addition to amending the legislation. But hatred directed at Jews and Israelis apparently does not count. Or is it now permissible to glorify every form of terrorism?
On Elpeleg has, in any event, decided to appeal the discontinuation.
Norwegian university refuses to sanction professor who praised October 7 massacre
Skandaløs mediestillhet rundt ny rapport om jødisk liv og antisemittisme i Norge