The self-proclaimed resistance leader admits killing but denies any guilt, writes AUDREY ANDERSENin Oslo
THE MAN accused of the mass murder of 77 people in Oslo and on the nearby Norwegian island of Utoeya appeared in court in public for the first time yesterday, admitting responsibility but denying guilt and proclaiming himself a commander in the resistance against multiculturalism.
Anders Behring Breivik (32) entered courtroom 828 wearing a dark suit, white shirt and a light blue tie. He sat flanked by defence lawyers on each side. Four police offers stood directly behind. Apart from occasional glances towards the media and fiddling a little with his tie, there were few signs of nervousness.
The judge, Torkjel Nesheim, gave a summary of the crimes. He then extended custody for a further 12 weeks with a gradual lifting of some restrictions. Breivik will be eligible for controlled correspondence and visits up to and including January 9th. The ban on media access will be extended by four weeks with immediate effect, which means that he will have access to media on December 12th.
About 120 people packed into the courtroom. Hundreds more squeezed into overflow rooms equipped with video links. Towards the end of the hearing, Breivik indicated with a finger that he wanted to speak again.
“I understand the aggrieved parties are present – may I say something to them?” he asked, but the judge turned him down and Breivik did not persist.
Earlier during the hearing, Breivik stated that he considered himself to be “a military commander in the Norwegian resistance movement”. The judge stopped him and reminded him to confine his speech to the issue at hand – his continued detention.
He also referred to the fact that he did not recognise the authority of the court by stating “you have had a mandate from those who support multiculturalism. It is a hate ideology that supports the deconstruction of Norwegian society.”
Breivik has been held in isolation since his arrest and has been denied visitors and media access. If the court decision is not appealed, Breivik will be permitted visitor rights in Ila prison in eight weeks’ time. In four weeks, he will be allowed to read newspapers and look at television,
Breiviks defence lawyer Geir Lippestad said later his client described his prison detention as “irrational terror”. While Breivik acknowledges his actions, he denies guilt and wants to be released. The trial will begin on April 16th next year in Oslo District Court.
Utoeya survivor Sondre Lindhagen Nilssen (16), who was in court with his mother, Heidi, stayed alive by hiding in a small cave at the back of the island. He hid for over two hours and saw two people, one of whom he knew, shot in front of him.
“When I saw him, I saw a totally removed person who has not the remotest contact with reality,” he said outside the court. His mother said her son “still has many ups and downs” and needs support.
Another Utoeya survivor, Erik Kursetgjerde (18), said he came to the court “to understand how he did that”.
“It will be different to see him this time in the courtroom flanked by police,” he said. “Then he will no longer be after me and I don’t need to be afraid any longer.”
For some survivors and the bereaved, it was too much when Breivik announced in court that that he considered himself to be a “knight templar”. This was an apparent reference to the medieval order, approved by the Catholic Church in the 12th century and closely associated with the Crusades, and from which some right-wing extremists draw inspiration in, as they see it, a quest to defend Christian heritage.
Breivik remained composed and controlled throughout the court proceedings. He smiled occasionally and, when the court adjourned and most people stood up, he remained seated.