Gunman Anders Behring Breivik has been remanded in custody at an Oslo court hearing after which he was taken away from the courthouse in a Norwegian police convoy.
A judge ordered eight weeks detention for Breivik, who claimed in court to have two more groups of collaborators.
Custody, in line with prosecutors' request, will allow them to investigate the case against Breivik (32) an anti-Islamic zealot who has previously claimed sole responsibility for Friday's attacks. The custody can be extended.
Breivik's court appearance came as Norwegian police today revised down the death toll from Friday's bombing and shootings to 76 people from a previous estimate of 93, citing difficulties in gathering information at Utoeya island, where the shooting spree occurred.
Judge Kim Heger said that Breivik would be locked up alone with no incoming letters, media nor visitors except for his lawyer. A trial could be a year away.
"The accused has made statements today that require further investigation, including that 'there are two more cells in our organisation," Mr Heger told a news conference.
Breivik told the court that he acted to save Europe from Islam. He had previously said he had acted alone.
Reading his conclusions, the judge said: "The accused . . . has acknowledged having carried out the bomb explosion against, inter alia, the government headquarters, and the shooting at Utoeya. Even though the accused has acknowledged the facts of the case, he has not pleaded criminal responsibility.
"The accused believes that he needed to carry out his attacks 'to save Norway and Western Europe from, among other things, cultural Marxism and a Muslim takeover'," the judge told the court.
However Norwegian police believe Breivik is probably a lone wolf, a view also held by some researchers who cast doubt on his claim that he was working with two other cells.
Police attorney Christian Hatlo told reporters today he "cannot completely, and I stress completely, rule out that others were involved in what happened."
But police say privately that they think more cells are unlikely although security services are checking with their international partners about potential foreign links.
"We feel that the accused has fairly low credibility when it comes to this claim but none of us dare to be completely dismissive about it either," a source close to the investigation told Reuters.
Police are checking Breivik's phone and credit card records as well as his known movements to determine whether he was working alone.
Protesters shouting "bloody traitor" banged on a car arriving at the court house believing it held Breivik.
The car, a dark blue Volvo, continued on its way after police intervened. One young protester said that Breivik was apparently sitting in the back seat flanked by police officers.
"Everyone here wants him dead," one of the three or four people banging on the car told reporters. He did not give his name.
At least 100,000 people, many carrying white or red roses, marched in Oslo this evening to show support for the victims of the attacks.
"Tonight the streets are filled with love," Crown Prince Haakon told the crowd.
Rallies are also being held in other cities around the nation.
In Dublin this afternoon, Minister for Justice Alan Shatter visited the Norwegian embassy and signed the book of condolences for those who died in the atrocity over the weekend.
Earlier, a spokesman for the Oslo court said the judge decided to hold a closed hearing for Breivik (32) on a request from police.
After Judge Heger made the decision, the court issued a statement. “Based on information in the case the court finds that today’s detention hearing should be held behind closed doors,” it said. “It is clear that there is concrete information that a public hearing with the suspect present could quickly lead to an extraordinary and very difficult situation in terms of the investigation and security.”
Breivik had asked for an open hearing at which he wanted to dress in uniform. It was clear from a manifesto he published online to describe the planning and motivation of the attacks that he was looking for a platform for air his belief that Europe must be saved from what he describes as Muslim colonisation. He has also said that the killings themselves were “marketing” for the manifesto.
The court acknowledged that there was a need for transparency in the case and that it normally would consider arguments from the press when making decisions to close hearings but said that wasn’t possible “for practical reasons.”
Breivik has confessed he was behind a bombing in central Oslo and the shooting massacre at a youth camp outside the capital, which together killed 76 people, but denies criminal responsibility. In his manifesto and comments to his lawyer, he has said he wanted to start a revolution to inspire Norwegians to retake their country from Muslims and other immigrants. He blames liberals for championing multiculturalism over Norway’s “indigenous” culture.
Typically, the accused is brought to court every four weeks while prosecutors prepare their case, so a judge can approve his continued detention. In cases of serious crimes or where the defendant has admitted to the charges, longer periods of detention are not unusual.
Prime minister Jens Stoltenberg led the nation in a minute of silence today, standing on the steps of Oslo university next to a flame. The king and queen stood by as well, and Denmark and Sweden also joined in the remembrance.
Signs of normality returned to Oslo today. A wide police cordon around the bomb site was lifted on the first work day since the attacks, leaving just a narrower zone closed off. Most shops were open and trams were rumbling through the city’s streets. But the flag on the court where Breivik appeared remained at half mast.
The search for more victims continues, and police have not released the names of the dead. Norway’s royal court said that those killed at the island retreat included crown princess Mette-Marit’s stepbrother, an off-duty police officer, who was working there as a security guard. Trond Berntsen was the son of Mette-Marit’s stepfather, who died in 2008.
Meanwhile French police were searching the suspect’s father’s home. About a dozen officers surrounded the house in Couranel in southern France, entering and leaving at irregular intervals.
The regional gendarme service confirmed the house was that of Anders Behring Breivik’s father but would not comment on the search operation. News reports have said Breivik’s father, Jens Breivik, has not been in touch with his son in many years.
Breivik laid out his extreme nationalist philosophy as well as his attack methods in a 1,500-page manifesto. It also describes how he bought armour, guns, tons of fertiliser and other bomb components, stashed caches of weapons and wiping his computer hard drive - all while evading police suspicion and being nice to his neighbours.
Dr Colin Poole, head of surgery at Ringriket Hospital in Honefoss north-west of Oslo, said the gunman used special bullets designed to disintegrate inside the body and cause maximum internal damage. Dr Poole said surgeons treating 16 gunshot victims have recovered no full bullets.
“These bullets more or less exploded inside the body,” Dr Poole said. “It’s caused us all kinds of extra problems in dealing with the wounds they cause, with very strange trajectories.”
Agencies