Norway arrests Muslim cleric after Italian terror trial

The Norwegian domestic security agency says a Muslim cleric found guilty in Italy for planning terror has been detained on an Italian arrest warrant.

The PST security agency says Iraqi-born Mullah Krekar was detained late Monday. It was not immediately clear whether he would be extradited.

The agency tweeted hours after an Italian court found Krekar guilty of attempting to overthrow the Kurdish government in northern Iraq and create an Islamic caliphate, and sentenced him to 12 years.

Italian prosecutors had alleged Krekar, who is based in Norway, is behind Rawti Shax, a European network aimed at violently overthrowing the government in Kurdistan. Krekar plans to appeal.

Krekar, born Najm al-Din Faraj Ahmad, had refused to travel to Italy, fearing he would be extradited to Iraq after the trial.