Title: 37-Year-Old Inmate Escapes High-Security Norwegian Prison on Christmas Eve; International manhunt underway
A 37-year-old man named Ismail Ouhnou, of Moroccan origin, escaped from Hustad prison on Christmas Eve. Assisting Prison Director Ingunn Seim confirmed the incident on Friday, revealing that the man, formerly residing in a high-security unit, fled at 6:15 AM, with police immediately notified upon his absence.
Ouhnou’s current whereabouts remain unknown. Law enforcement has released images and descriptions of the escaped convict, urging the public for any information leading to his capture via phone number 02800. An international manhunt is currently underway.
Norwegian public broadcaster NRK covered the incident but distributed an unclear image of Ouhnou, making it difficult to identify him. They refrained from publishing the police’s portrait image alongside other major Norwegian media outlets.
iNyheter contacted NRK to inquire about their decision not to share the provided image. NRK district editor Charlotte Ervik explained, "We typically do not identify individuals, by name or image, in criminal cases, including this one." Ervik also noted that police assessments suggesting Ouhnou poses no immediate danger to the public factored into their decision.
Ouhnou, convicted ten times for over 150 thefts since arriving in Norway in 2002, has evaded custody on five occasions. Despite his lengthy criminal history, police suspect potential links to radical Islamic ideology, which has not been disclosed to the public.
