Current:Home > ContactMass killer who says his rights are violated should remain in solitary confinement, Norway says-VaTradeCoin
Mass killer who says his rights are violated should remain in solitary confinement, Norway says
lotradecoin futures View Date:2024-12-25 22:58:26
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.
veryGood! (21359)
Related
- China says Philippines has 'provoked trouble' in South China Sea with US backing
- Zach Bryan, Brianna 'Chickenfry' LaPaglia controversy: From Golden Globes to breakup
- Police search for missing mother who vanished in Wylie, Texas without phone or car
- Billie Eilish addresses Donald Trump win: 'Someone who hates women so, so deeply'
- Atmospheric river and potential bomb cyclone bring chaotic winter weather to East Coast
- Judge cancels court deadlines in Trump’s 2020 election case after his presidential win
- San Francisco’s first Black female mayor concedes to Levi Strauss heir
- Gold medalist Noah Lyles beats popular streamer IShowSpeed in 50m race
- 'The Later Daters': Cast, how to stream new Michelle Obama
- Powerball winning numbers for November 6 drawing: Jackpot rises to $75 million
Ranking
- US inflation likely edged up last month, though not enough to deter another Fed rate cut
- Opinion: Trump win means sports will again be gigantic (and frightening) battleground
- Winners and losers of Thursday Night Football: Lamar Jackson leads Ravens to thrilling win
- Opinion: Trump win means sports will again be gigantic (and frightening) battleground
- The Sundance Film Festival unveils its lineup including Jennifer Lopez, Questlove and more
- The 2025 Grammy Award nominations are about to arrive. Here’s what to know
- Mariah Carey Shares Rare Photo of Her and Nick Cannon's 13-Year-Old Son
- Brianna Chickenfry LaPaglia Accuses Ex Zach Bryan of Abuse
Recommendation
-
A Malibu wildfire prompts evacuation orders and warnings for 20,000, including Dick Van Dyke, Cher
-
Teresa Giudice's Husband Accused of Cheating by This House of Villains Costar
-
New York, several other states won't accept bets on Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight
-
Man ordered to jail pending trial in the fatal shooting of a Chicago police officer
-
Travis Kelce Praises Taylor Swift For Making Eras Tour "Best In The World"
-
Tia Mowry on her 'healing journey,' mornings with her kids and being on TV without Tamera
-
Meet the 2025 Grammys Best New Artist Nominees
-
Wife of southern Illinois judge charged in his fatal shooting, police say