Far-right extremist Anders Behring Breivik, who murdered 77 people in a 2011 bombing and shooting spree in Norway, will request on Monday that his jail isolation be lifted on the grounds that it violates his human rights. In addition to challenging the government to remove restrictions on his communication with the outside world, the 44-year-old released a manifesto outlining his beliefs prior to the assaults. In what is considered to be Norway’s deadliest peacetime massacre, Breivik shot 69 people, most of them teenagers, at a Labour Party youth camp after detonating a vehicle bomb in Oslo, killing eight people.
Anders Behring Breivik: Rehabilitation Efforts and Prison Conditions Spark Controversy
His case continues to be a significant test for a nation that is both horrified by his crimes and proud of its sustained efforts at rehabilitation via the legal system. This is Breivik’s third imprisonment; he is being held in a high-security wing of the Skien prison, located 40 miles (70 kilometers) northwest of Oslo. Viewed in images from news agency NTB last month, his dedicated section includes a kitchen, TV room, study, and bathroom. The NTB article states that he is allowed to own three badgers as pets, and they are free to roam the area.
Breivik’s Isolation: Lawyers Dispute Extent, Highlight Mental Health Struggles
In a statement to the Oslo District Court, Breivik’s attorneys claimed that his ten years of seclusion from “meaningful human contact” had had a catastrophic effect. According to Oystein Storrvik, “He is now committing suicide.” “He is now dependent on the antidepressant Prozac to get through the days in jail.”The Ministry of Justice’s attorneys feel that Breivik ought to be kept apart from the other inmates because of continuous security risks. His seclusion was described as “relative” in court because he had communication with his bodyguards, a priest, medical professionals, and—until recently—an outside volunteer, whom Breivik no longer wished to see.
Controlling Breivik’s Contacts: Legal Argument amid Concerns of Inciting Violence
The attorneys contend that in order to stop others from being inspired to commit violent crimes, Breivik’s contact with the outside world must be restricted. According to the report, “In particular, this applies to contacts with light circles, including those who seek contact with Breivik as a result of the terrorist acts on July 22, 2011.” Breivik was cited as an influence by Brenton Tarrant, the gunman who killed 51 people in two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2019. The lengthiest sentence imposed by a Norwegian court, 21 years, may be further extended indefinitely if Breivik is found to pose a threat to society.
Isolation Duration of Breivik: Legal and Security Challenges
A PhD thesis on Breivik’s circumstances from 2011 to 2013 was written by associate professor Nate Melingseter Sorensen of Norwegian Police University College. He said, “The unusual thing is how long he has stayed in isolation.” “It’s a challenge with someone who has shown an intent and ability to carry out terrorist attacks and planned it for a long time, how you lighten security measures so that you can actually interact with other inmates?” In 2016, Breivik filed a lawsuit against the state, alleging violations of the European Convention on Human Rights, which prohibits the use of torture and inhuman or degrading punishment or treatment.
Even though the lawsuit was initially successful, it was reversed a year later on appeal before any restrictions were removed. The following weeks will see the announcement of the verdict from Monday’s hearing in the high-security gymnasium of the Telemark prison, which is situated on the shores of Lake Tyrifjorden and is where Breivik carried out his shooting.
