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Breivik turns lawsuit into platform for extremist views

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Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik used his case against the state over his prison conditions to promote his extremist views on Wednesday, confirming survivors' fears the lawsuit has given him a publicity platform.

The 37-year-old spent much of his three-hour testimony setting out his extremist ideology, despite repeated orders from the judge to cut short his digressions.

"I have fought for National Socialism for 25 years, and I will fight for it to the death," he said, referring to the Nazis' political doctrine as he read from a prepared 13-page manuscript.

Norwegian authorities declined to televise the testimony of the right-wing extremist out of respect for survivors of his 2011 bombing and shooting massacre, which killed 77 people, and to prevent him sending coded messages to supporters.

Some voiced dismay that he had nonetheless been given the oxygen of publicity in a lawsuit meant to focus on his prison conditions.

Mass murderer Breivik begins lawsuit
Mass murderer Breivik begins lawsuit
Jonathan STOREY, AFP

A representative of the victims' families attending the proceedings, Freddy Lie, lamented Breivik's political grandstanding.

"I expected the judge to crack down on that because there were a lot of elements that had nothing to do with the case," he told AFP.

But, "this is a state of law. Everyone has the right to be heard."

Breivik, who committed the deadliest attacks in Norway since World War II, told the court that although he was still a Nazi he had renounced violence.

He repeatedly cast himself as a victim, comparing himself to freedom fighters like Nelson Mandela and using strong language, including "torture" and "hell", to describe his incarceration.

- Prison conditions examined -

Breivik is serving a maximum 21-year sentence -- which can be extended if he is still considered dangerous -- for killing eight people in a bombing outside a government building in Oslo and then another 69, mostly teenagers, in a shooting rampage at a Labour Youth camp.

Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik (R) has his handcuffs removed inside the court room in ...
Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik (R) has his handcuffs removed inside the court room in Skien prison, March 16, 2016
Lise Aserud, NTB Scanpix/AFP

He has accused the state of breaching two clauses of the European Convention on Human Rights prohibiting "inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment" and guaranteeing respect for "private and family life" and "correspondence".

He described his conditions in solitary confinement as "the most inhuman in the Western world".

The state's lawyers argue that Breivik's conditions fall "well within the limits of what is permitted" under the Convention.

He has access to three cells -- one for sleeping, one for studying and another for physical exercise -- as well as a television, a computer without Internet access, a games console, books and newspapers.

Norway's most notorious prisoner is also able to prepare his own food and do his own laundry.

In Skien prison Breivik has access to three cells -- one for living  one for studying and a third fo...
In Skien prison Breivik has access to three cells -- one for living, one for studying and a third for physical exercise -- as well as a television, a computer without Internet access and a game console
Jonathan Nackstrand, AFP

The court later inspected his living quarters.

Breivik complained to the court that he was suffering from headaches, apathy and insomnia as a result of his isolation.

He also claimed to have been subjected to 885 strip-searches since his 2011 arrest, which he called "humiliating".

The state's lawyers have described Breivik as an "extremely dangerous" man, who must be kept apart from other inmates and whose mail must be censored amid fears he will spread his extremist views.

For security reasons, the case is being heard in the gym of the Skien Prison in southern Norway where he is imprisoned.

- Survivors anger -

Some of the killer's complaints came across as trivial, as he bemoaned cold coffee and microwaved meals and claimed his fascination with a popular reality TV show was a sign of the "brain damage" he had suffered in jail.

Prior to the proceedings  several victims had expressed fears the hearings would give the killer a p...
Prior to the proceedings, several victims had expressed fears the hearings would give the killer a platform for his rightwing extremist ideology
Jonathan Nackstrand, AFP

Survivors were concerned by the attention given to his remarks.

"It may seem funny to write that he is complaining about cold coffee and Fjordland (frozen dinners), but I don't know if it's so funny for the families," Utoya survivor Viljar Hanssen tweeted.

But a lawyer for Breivik, who wants to be allowed to receive uncensored letters, see other prisoners, receive more visits and publish books, said his almost five-year isolation has inflicted "clear damage".

A prison psychiatrist who has monitored Breivik testified she saw no major changes in his mental health.

"You can of course be depressed and in a bad mood from being in prison but I haven't seen anything that indicates damages linked to isolation," Randi Rosenqvist said.

Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik used his case against the state over his prison conditions to promote his extremist views on Wednesday, confirming survivors’ fears the lawsuit has given him a publicity platform.

The 37-year-old spent much of his three-hour testimony setting out his extremist ideology, despite repeated orders from the judge to cut short his digressions.

“I have fought for National Socialism for 25 years, and I will fight for it to the death,” he said, referring to the Nazis’ political doctrine as he read from a prepared 13-page manuscript.

Norwegian authorities declined to televise the testimony of the right-wing extremist out of respect for survivors of his 2011 bombing and shooting massacre, which killed 77 people, and to prevent him sending coded messages to supporters.

Some voiced dismay that he had nonetheless been given the oxygen of publicity in a lawsuit meant to focus on his prison conditions.

Mass murderer Breivik begins lawsuit

Mass murderer Breivik begins lawsuit
Jonathan STOREY, AFP

A representative of the victims’ families attending the proceedings, Freddy Lie, lamented Breivik’s political grandstanding.

“I expected the judge to crack down on that because there were a lot of elements that had nothing to do with the case,” he told AFP.

But, “this is a state of law. Everyone has the right to be heard.”

Breivik, who committed the deadliest attacks in Norway since World War II, told the court that although he was still a Nazi he had renounced violence.

He repeatedly cast himself as a victim, comparing himself to freedom fighters like Nelson Mandela and using strong language, including “torture” and “hell”, to describe his incarceration.

– Prison conditions examined –

Breivik is serving a maximum 21-year sentence — which can be extended if he is still considered dangerous — for killing eight people in a bombing outside a government building in Oslo and then another 69, mostly teenagers, in a shooting rampage at a Labour Youth camp.

Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik (R) has his handcuffs removed inside the court room in ...

Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik (R) has his handcuffs removed inside the court room in Skien prison, March 16, 2016
Lise Aserud, NTB Scanpix/AFP

He has accused the state of breaching two clauses of the European Convention on Human Rights prohibiting “inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment” and guaranteeing respect for “private and family life” and “correspondence”.

He described his conditions in solitary confinement as “the most inhuman in the Western world”.

The state’s lawyers argue that Breivik’s conditions fall “well within the limits of what is permitted” under the Convention.

He has access to three cells — one for sleeping, one for studying and another for physical exercise — as well as a television, a computer without Internet access, a games console, books and newspapers.

Norway’s most notorious prisoner is also able to prepare his own food and do his own laundry.

In Skien prison Breivik has access to three cells -- one for living  one for studying and a third fo...

In Skien prison Breivik has access to three cells — one for living, one for studying and a third for physical exercise — as well as a television, a computer without Internet access and a game console
Jonathan Nackstrand, AFP

The court later inspected his living quarters.

Breivik complained to the court that he was suffering from headaches, apathy and insomnia as a result of his isolation.

He also claimed to have been subjected to 885 strip-searches since his 2011 arrest, which he called “humiliating”.

The state’s lawyers have described Breivik as an “extremely dangerous” man, who must be kept apart from other inmates and whose mail must be censored amid fears he will spread his extremist views.

For security reasons, the case is being heard in the gym of the Skien Prison in southern Norway where he is imprisoned.

– Survivors anger –

Some of the killer’s complaints came across as trivial, as he bemoaned cold coffee and microwaved meals and claimed his fascination with a popular reality TV show was a sign of the “brain damage” he had suffered in jail.

Prior to the proceedings  several victims had expressed fears the hearings would give the killer a p...

Prior to the proceedings, several victims had expressed fears the hearings would give the killer a platform for his rightwing extremist ideology
Jonathan Nackstrand, AFP

Survivors were concerned by the attention given to his remarks.

“It may seem funny to write that he is complaining about cold coffee and Fjordland (frozen dinners), but I don’t know if it’s so funny for the families,” Utoya survivor Viljar Hanssen tweeted.

But a lawyer for Breivik, who wants to be allowed to receive uncensored letters, see other prisoners, receive more visits and publish books, said his almost five-year isolation has inflicted “clear damage”.

A prison psychiatrist who has monitored Breivik testified she saw no major changes in his mental health.

“You can of course be depressed and in a bad mood from being in prison but I haven’t seen anything that indicates damages linked to isolation,” Randi Rosenqvist said.

AFP
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With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.

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