Mass killer who says his rights are violated should remain in solitary confinement, Norway says
Mass killer who says his rights are violated should remain in solitary confinement, Norway says
FILE - Convicted mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik sits in the makeshift courtroom in Skien prison on the second day of his hearing where he is requesting release on parole, in Skien, Norway, Jan. 19, 2022. Breivik, the Norwegian right-wing extremist who killed 77 people in a bomb and gun rampage in 2011, will try for the second time Monday, Jan. 8, 2024 to sue the Norwegian state for allegedly breaching his human rights. (Ole Berg-Rusten/NTB scanpix via AP, File)
FILE - Anders Behring Breivik has his handcuffs removed after entering the courtroom in Skien, Norway, on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Breivik, the Norwegian right-wing extremist who killed 77 people in a bomb and gun rampage in 2011, will try for the second time Monday, Jan. 8, 2024 to sue the Norwegian state for allegedly breaching his human rights. (Lise Aserud, NTB scanpix via AP, File)
Anders Behring Breivik and attorney Marte Lindholm sits, as the Oslo district court conducts his case in a gymnasium at Ringerike prison, in Ringerike, Norway, Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. Breivik, who slayed 77 people in an anti-Islamic bomb and gun rampage in 2011, appeared in court on Monday in a bid to sue the Norwegian state for breaching his human rights. Norway’s worst peacetime killer says his solitary confinement since being jailed in 2012 amounts to inhumane treatment under the European Convention of Human Rights. (Cornelius Poppe/NTB Scanpix via AP)
Anders Behring Breivik gives his statement on day two of the trial, where the Oslo district court hears the case concerning Breivik’s prison terms and his rights under the European Convention on Human Rights, in Tyristrand, Norway, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. The trial takes place in a gymnasium in Ringerike prison. Breivik, who now calls himself Fjotolf Hansen, was sentenced the year after the terrorist attacks against Oslo and Utøya on 22 July 2011 to 21 years in prison with a minimum term of 10 years. 77 people lost their lives in the attacks. (Cornelius Poppe/NTB Scanpix via AP)
Anders Behring Breivik gives his statement on day two of the trial, where the Oslo district court hears the case concerning Breivik’s prison terms and his rights under the European Convention on Human Rights, in Tyristrand, Norway, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. The trial takes place in a gymnasium in Ringerike prison. Breivik, who now calls himself Fjotolf Hansen, was sentenced the year after the terrorist attacks against Oslo and Utøya on 22 July 2011 to 21 years in prison with a minimum term of 10 years. 77 people lost their lives in the attacks. (Cornelius Poppe/NTB Scanpix via AP)
FILE - Convicted mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik sits in the makeshift courtroom in Skien prison on the second day of his hearing where he is requesting release on parole, in Skien, Norway, Jan. 19, 2022. Breivik, the Norwegian right-wing extremist who killed 77 people in a bomb and gun rampage in 2011, will try for the second time Monday, Jan. 8, 2024 to sue the Norwegian state for allegedly breaching his human rights. (Ole Berg-Rusten/NTB scanpix via AP, File)
FILE - Convicted mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik sits in the makeshift courtroom in Skien prison on the second day of his hearing where he is requesting release on parole, in Skien, Norway, Jan. 19, 2022. Breivik, the Norwegian right-wing extremist who killed 77 people in a bomb and gun rampage in 2011, will try for the second time Monday, Jan. 8, 2024 to sue the Norwegian state for allegedly breaching his human rights. (Ole Berg-Rusten/NTB scanpix via AP, File)
FILE - Anders Behring Breivik has his handcuffs removed after entering the courtroom in Skien, Norway, on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Breivik, the Norwegian right-wing extremist who killed 77 people in a bomb and gun rampage in 2011, will try for the second time Monday, Jan. 8, 2024 to sue the Norwegian state for allegedly breaching his human rights. (Lise Aserud, NTB scanpix via AP, File)
FILE - Anders Behring Breivik has his handcuffs removed after entering the courtroom in Skien, Norway, on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Breivik, the Norwegian right-wing extremist who killed 77 people in a bomb and gun rampage in 2011, will try for the second time Monday, Jan. 8, 2024 to sue the Norwegian state for allegedly breaching his human rights. (Lise Aserud, NTB scanpix via AP, File)
Anders Behring Breivik and attorney Marte Lindholm sits, as the Oslo district court conducts his case in a gymnasium at Ringerike prison, in Ringerike, Norway, Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. Breivik, who slayed 77 people in an anti-Islamic bomb and gun rampage in 2011, appeared in court on Monday in a bid to sue the Norwegian state for breaching his human rights. Norway’s worst peacetime killer says his solitary confinement since being jailed in 2012 amounts to inhumane treatment under the European Convention of Human Rights. (Cornelius Poppe/NTB Scanpix via AP)
Anders Behring Breivik and attorney Marte Lindholm sits, as the Oslo district court conducts his case in a gymnasium at Ringerike prison, in Ringerike, Norway, Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. Breivik, who slayed 77 people in an anti-Islamic bomb and gun rampage in 2011, appeared in court on Monday in a bid to sue the Norwegian state for breaching his human rights. Norway’s worst peacetime killer says his solitary confinement since being jailed in 2012 amounts to inhumane treatment under the European Convention of Human Rights. (Cornelius Poppe/NTB Scanpix via AP)
Anders Behring Breivik gives his statement on day two of the trial, where the Oslo district court hears the case concerning Breivik’s prison terms and his rights under the European Convention on Human Rights, in Tyristrand, Norway, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. The trial takes place in a gymnasium in Ringerike prison. Breivik, who now calls himself Fjotolf Hansen, was sentenced the year after the terrorist attacks against Oslo and Utøya on 22 July 2011 to 21 years in prison with a minimum term of 10 years. 77 people lost their lives in the attacks. (Cornelius Poppe/NTB Scanpix via AP)
Anders Behring Breivik gives his statement on day two of the trial, where the Oslo district court hears the case concerning Breivik’s prison terms and his rights under the European Convention on Human Rights, in Tyristrand, Norway, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. The trial takes place in a gymnasium in Ringerike prison. Breivik, who now calls himself Fjotolf Hansen, was sentenced the year after the terrorist attacks against Oslo and Utøya on 22 July 2011 to 21 years in prison with a minimum term of 10 years. 77 people lost their lives in the attacks. (Cornelius Poppe/NTB Scanpix via AP)
Anders Behring Breivik gives his statement on day two of the trial, where the Oslo district court hears the case concerning Breivik’s prison terms and his rights under the European Convention on Human Rights, in Tyristrand, Norway, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. The trial takes place in a gymnasium in Ringerike prison. Breivik, who now calls himself Fjotolf Hansen, was sentenced the year after the terrorist attacks against Oslo and Utøya on 22 July 2011 to 21 years in prison with a minimum term of 10 years. 77 people lost their lives in the attacks. (Cornelius Poppe/NTB Scanpix via AP)
Anders Behring Breivik gives his statement on day two of the trial, where the Oslo district court hears the case concerning Breivik’s prison terms and his rights under the European Convention on Human Rights, in Tyristrand, Norway, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. The trial takes place in a gymnasium in Ringerike prison. Breivik, who now calls himself Fjotolf Hansen, was sentenced the year after the terrorist attacks against Oslo and Utøya on 22 July 2011 to 21 years in prison with a minimum term of 10 years. 77 people lost their lives in the attacks. (Cornelius Poppe/NTB Scanpix via AP)
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Norway’s government insisted on Friday that Anders Behring Breivik, a right-wing extremist who killed 77 people in a bomb and gun rampage in 2011, remains dangerous and should stay in solitary confinement, rejecting his claim in a suit that his human rights are being violated.
“There is a great danger of violence and that he will inspire others. That is why he has to serve his time under strict security measures,” Andreas Hjetland, a government lawyer, said on the last day of a five-day hearing.
“There is simply nothing indicating that Breivik’s human rights are being violated,” the Norwegian news agency NTB quoted Hjetland as saying.
Breivik, who has changed his name to Fjotolf Hansen, claims in his suit — his second against the Norwegian government — that the isolation he has been placed under since he began his prison sentence in 2012 amounts to inhumane punishment under the European Convention on Human Rights. He failed in a similar attempt in 2016-2017, when his appeal was ultimately rejected by the European Court of Justice.
On July 22, 2011, Breivik killed eight people in a bomb attack in Oslo before heading to a youth camp for a center-left political group on Utøya island, where, dressed as a police officer, he gunned down 69 people, mostly teenagers.
Breivik has shown no remorse for his attacks, which he portrayed as a crusade against multiculturalism in Norway.
This week’s hearing was held in the gymnasium at the Ringerike prison where he is being held.
His lawyer, Øystein Storrvik, said Thursday that his client has been affected by the lack of contact with the surrounding world.
During his testimony on Tuesday, Breivik shed tears and said he was suffering from depression and suicidal feelings.
The prison-appointed psychiatrist, who has met with Breivik since he was transferred to Ringerike in 2022, expressed her doubts.
“I’ve never seen him like that before — never seen him cry or show much emotion. It was a reaction I did not expect,” Janne Gudim Hermansen told the court Thursday, according to NTB. “It may have been his way of showing his despair, but I am not sure how credible this was. I think perhaps this was used to achieve something.”
Breivik was sentenced to the maximum 21 years in prison with a provision — rarely used in the Norwegian justice system — that he can be held indefinitely if he is still considered a danger to society.
He sought parole in 2022 but was judged to have shown no sign of rehabilitation.
Norway favors rehabilitation over retribution, and Breivik is being held at Ringerike in a two-story complex with a kitchen, dining room and TV room with a game console, several armchairs and pictures of the Eiffel Tower on the wall. He also has a fitness room with weights, a treadmill and a rowing machine, while three parakeets fly around the complex.