On Monday, the family of Martine Vik Magnussen, 23, are expected to get further answers on the ongoing murder investigation in Britain.

In a few days it will be 14 years since Martine Vik Magnussen (23) from Asker was found raped and murdered in a London basement.

He is a student at Regent’s private university in the British metropolis, and fellow student and son of the wealthy Farouk Abdulhak is suspected of being behind the murder of the Norwegian woman.

He fled the UK for Egypt a few hours after the killing that took place on March 14, 2008. He then traveled to Yemen where he may have lived in the capital city of Sanaa after the assassination.

On Tuesday, a female relative in her 60s was arrested in London on suspicion of providing assistance to a criminal. It is not known what police suspect he has done.

– There is a significant development in this case, Martin’s father, Odd Petter Magnussen told VG.

Martine’s father has not been given the name of the woman who was released on bail Tuesday night.

Nevertheless, Magnussen had received enough information about him that he thought he knew who it was.

In the years since the murder, he has worked to bring justice to his daughter, and is proud of the work the British police have done and are doing.

Nevertheless, it is grave that the man suspected of the murder may still be living free in Yemen.

Yemen does not have an extradition treaty with Britain. Moreover, the country is in a vicious civil war, and Sanaa has been controlled by rebels within the Houthi rebels since 2014.

Political support

On Monday, Magnussen will meet police in London along with Martine’s mother and lawyer Patrick Lunevall-Unger. There he hoped to get more information about the investigation.

In addition, they will meet representatives from the UK Foreign Office. With him, Magnussen owns, among others, Storting politician Himanshu Gulati (Frp).

– I am very grateful to the politicians who have been personally involved, said Magnussen.

Magnussen has for years been critical of how Norwegian authorities are working on the case. Magnussen said he expected more – therefore he really appreciates the initiative Gulati has shown, among other things, in Martine’s case.

– He chose independently to travel to Yemen to speak with ministers there in 2019. This shows a bit of unorthodox political courage, so I want to take my hat off to what he is doing. He has made a bold and real contribution, and he has to get all the credit for it, said Magnussen.

Gulati tells VG that Martine’s murder is a case that touches her deeply.

– Therefore, I have tried to follow up on this case both as a parliamentary representative, but also personally to help the family achieve justice for Martine, he said.

In the city of Aden, which since 2015 has served as a sort of temporary capital for Yemen’s exiled government, Gulati said she met with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice.

– I always thought that the lack of a solution in Martine’s case was due to the complicated situation in Yemen, but the impression I got there was that they felt there was a lack of initiative on the Norwegian side.

– I hope the suspects are held to account and justice for Martine is achieved. I hope the Norwegian authorities show greater interest and will than what has been shown so far.

Martine’s father said he was grateful for the work politicians had done, and highlighted the work former parliamentary politician Se Michaelsen (Frp) is doing in promoting a resolution for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to stop criminals from escaping across national borders.

– I want to respect and thank him for the work he does, said Magnussen.

Conservative Michael Tetzschner’s signature on a letter addressed to business associates of Abdulhak’s father was also a move that Magnussen appreciated.

The communications unit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not have time to answer VG’s questions regarding the case, Friday.

– Norwegian authorities are in direct contact with UK police authorities, including the chief investigator, and have close contact and cooperation with the UK Foreign Office, the head of communications at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trude Måseide, previously told TV2.

They further pointed out that it was the British authorities who carried out the prosecution of the perpetrators in Martine’s case.