Mass killer Anders Breivik to remain in solitary confinement after appeal rejected
A right-wing extremist convicted of mass murder will remain in solitary confinement, a court has ruled.
Anders Breivik killed 77 people and injured roughly 250 more at two separate locations in Norway over the space of just a few hours on July 22, 2011.
Since beginning his prison sentence he has now twice claimed the conditions of his detention amount to a violation of his human rights, the most recent of which was rejected on Friday.
Speaking on the last day of a five-day hearing, Norwegian government lawyer Andreas Hjetland said: ‘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.
‘There is simply nothing indicating that Breivik’s human rights are being violated.’
Breivik, who now goes by Fjotolf Hansen, had claimed his isolation amounts to inhumane punishment, as proscribed by the European Convention on Human Rights.
He launched a similar bid back in 2016, which ultimately failed after he appealed its rejection by the Norwegian government to the European Court of Justice.
Breivik’s murderous 2011 rampage began with a bomb attack in Oslo that killed eight people and injured roughly 209 others.
He then made his way to a youth camp run by a centre-left political group on Utoya island, around 40km away, where he gunned down 69 people, mostly adolescents, and injured 32 more, all while dressed as a police officer.
The right-wing extremist killer has since expressed no regret for the attacks, which he has described as retaliation for the growth of multiculturalism and feminism in Norway.
He is currently being held in Ringerike prison, itself just across the water from Utoya island, where the second part of his attack was staged.
In-keeping with Norway’s international reputation for high-quality prison conditions, indicative of the country’s policy of rehabilitation over retribution for offenders, he lives in a two-storey complex with a kitchen, dining space, TV room and gym.
Breivik’s lawyer, Oystein Storrvik, said during the hearing on Thursday that his client has been suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts due to a lack of contact with the outside world – with Breivik reported to have even broken down in tears during proceedings.
His display of emotion was questioned, however, by a prison-appointed psychiatrist, who said they have ‘never seen him like that before – never seen him cry or show much emotion’.
The killer, who is reported to have suffered emotional and psychological abuse as a child, is serving a 21-year sentence, the maximum permitted under Norwegian law.
This is in addition to a rarely-used provision meaning he may be held beyond the end of his sentence until such a time as he is no longer deemed to pose a threat to others.
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