- Breivik’s isolation continues
- Human rights claim denied
- Appeals judgment, remains threat
As a result of his unsuccessful legal bid to terminate the state-imposed conditions, Anders Behring Breivik, a Norwegian mass murderer, will continue to be confined to isolation in prison.
The neo-Nazi, responsible for the deaths of 77 people in a 2011 rampage of bombings and shootings, filed a lawsuit against the Norwegian government in January, alleging that his prison conditions infringed upon his human rights.
“Upon conducting a comprehensive evaluation, the Oslo District Court has determined that Breivik’s sentencing conditions do not constitute a breach of human rights,” the court said in a statement released alongside its verdict on Thursday.
Breivik, who adopted the alias Fjotolf Hansen, is presently incarcerated for the duration of a 21-year term, which was the utmost penalty applicable at the time of his crimes and may be renewed so long as he continues to pose a danger to society.
As punishment for his atrocities, which include detonating a car bomb that claimed the lives of eight individuals in Oslo and gunning down 69 others, the majority of whom were adolescents, on Utoya island on July 22, 2011 – the deadliest violence in Norway since World War II – he has been held in isolation since 2012.
Breivik’s Prison Conditions Assessed
Breivik contended that, in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights, his isolation constituted an “inhumane” punishment. His claim against the Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security, however, was denied by the court.
“Breivik enjoys favourable physical conditions and a considerable degree of freedom in its daily activities,” stated Judge Birgitte Kolrud in the decision.
“The sentencing conditions have improved significantly,” she continued, adding that “there is no evidence of permanent harm from the punishment.”
Two years ago, Breivik, who is 45 years old, was transferred to Ringerike Prison, where he is housed in a two-story complex featuring a dining area, television room, and kitchen equipped with an Xbox, multiple armchairs, and wall-mounted black-and-white photographs of the Eiffel Tower.
The complex has three parakeets and a gym with weights, a treadmill, and a rowing machine.
“Excellently treated”
Last month at the judicial hearing, prison director Eirik Bergstedt stated, “Breivik is treated exceptionally well.”
The case was heard at Breivik’s high-security penitentiary, situated on the shore of Tyrifjorden lake, where Utoya is also located, over the course of five days.
The verdict issued on Thursday stated, “In summary, the court has determined that the sentencing conditions were not disproportionately burdensome.” It clarified that this was the case both now and in the past.
Breivik, who has never expressed contrition for his atrocities, continues to be regarded as a threat by the Norwegian authorities.
He shed tears while testifying at the hearing that he was depressed and experiencing suicidal thoughts.
Nevertheless, during the hearing, prison-appointed psychiatrist Janne Gudim Hermansen, who has seen Breivik since his transfer to Ringerike, expressed scepticism regarding the weeping, speculating, “Perhaps this was an attempt to accomplish something.”
Breivik filed an analogous lawsuit in both 2016 and 2017.
Astonishingly, the Oslo District Court ruled in 2016 that his seclusion constituted a violation of his rights.
At the European Court of Human Rights, his case was deemed “inadmissible” in 2018. However, Norway’s higher courts ruled in favour of the state on appeal.
Breivik filed an immediate appeal of the judgement from Thursday, according to the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten.
