Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Breivik:"I have carried out the most sophisticated and spectacular political attack committed in europe since the second world war."

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9.22am: Breivik has started giving evidence so the TV cameras are switched off.
Breivik:"I have carried out the most sophisticated and spectacular political attack committed in europe since the second world war."
— Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) April 17, 2012
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Breivik trial: Day 2 - live reports - Mike Nova's starred items

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Breivik trial: Day 2 - live reports - Mike Nova's starred items

via BBC News - World on 4/16/12
The man accused of killing 77 people in bomb and gun attacks in Norway last July is due to take to the stand on the second day of his trial in Oslo.

via Yahoo! News - Top Stories on 4/16/12
Norwegian Anders Behring Breivik, who is facing terrorism and premeditated murder charges, reacts as a video presented by the prosecution is shown in court, Oslo, Norway, Monday, April 16, 2012. Breivik, who confessed to killing 77 people in a bomb-and-shooting massacre went on trial in Norway's capital Monday, defiantly rejecting the authority of the court. (AP Photo/Heiko Junge, Pool)The anti-Muslim fanatic who admitted to killing 77 people in a bomb-and-shooting massacre is set to take the stand Tuesday in his terror trial.

via Yahoo! News - Top Stories on 4/17/12
Breivik is expected to give his testimony on the second day of the trial0924 GMT: He continues: "It is extremely unfair and it is unacceptable… We as Norway's indigenous population … have special rights to this country and this is something we will fight for."

via The Guardian World News by Haroon Siddique, Helen Pidd on 4/17/12
Anders Behring Breivik is giving evidence on the second day of his trial for killing 77 people in Norway on a single day last summer
10.26am: Breveik has concluded his statement, asking to be found not guilty.
I cannot plead guilty, I acted to defend my country. So I ask to be acquitted.
The court will now take a lunch break until 11.30am BST.
10.21am: Breivik has said he is exercising "self-censorship, just so you know" but there is little evidence of that,
Helen Pidd writes.
After insisting that he would have "done it again" because "the offences against my people and my fellow partisans" are "as bad", Breivik said he had not targetted innocent young people on Utøya. He said those on the island on 22 July were "brainwashed". Those he killed, he said, were "not innocent non-political children; these were young people who worked to actively uphold multicultural values."
10.18am: Breivik has claimed his views chime at least partially with those of the leaders of France, Germany and the UK who he says have all expressed the opinion that multiculturalism does not work.
Breivik: "Sarkozy, Merkel and Cameron have all admitted multiculturalism does not work".
— Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) April 17, 2012
10.09am: Breivik has been ordered to wrap up by the judge but the accused says he only has three pages left and it is "essential" to explain his actions. The prosecution says he should be allowed to finish.
He has mentioned Muslims directly for the first time.
#breivik: muslims do not even want to integrate. This is myth. They want autonomy under sharia, they despise our values.
— Jonah Hull (@jonahhull) April 17, 2012
9.59am: The judge has intervened in Breivik's testimony asking him to keep it relevant after he talks about other countries and has also asked him to speed it up.
Judge interrupts breivik. 30 mins have passed. He says he's half way. She tells him to wrap up. He says not possible.
— Jonah Hull (@jonahhull) April 17, 2012
#Breivik judge asks him to speed it up. At least stick to Norway comments she says, after he talks about Japanese society...
— Matthew Price (@matthewwprice) April 17, 2012
Judge asks #Breivik to finish. He still has another 5 pages to read. Argues that is already cut from 20 to 13 pages. #22juli
— Trygve Sorvaag (@TrygveSorvaag) April 17, 2012
Judge concerned this is taking too long. Defence says they do have 5 days so encourages judge to allow him to continue#Breivik continues
— Matthew Price (@matthewwprice) April 17, 2012
9.52am: Some more updates from Helen:
Breivik says he would have done it all again because he was motivated by "goodness, not evil" and did it to save lives.
— Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) April 17, 2012
Can't believe they are allowing all of this - Breivik compares the Labour party youth wing with the Hitlerjugend.
— Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) April 17, 2012
Breivik claimed he had lessened his rhetoric out of respect for the victims and survivors.
He said:

Dying for your people is not only our right but our duty. I am not scared by the prospect of being in prison all my life. I was born in a prison since I cannot...This prison is called Norway.
9.39am: Breivik has been railing against marxists, multiculturalists, journalists, feminists.
Now railing against "cultural marxists" who introduced "feminism, quotas... who transformed the church, school".
— Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) April 17, 2012
Breivik: "Can norway be a democracy if 100% of news agencies promote multicultural values? The answer is no..."
— Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) April 17, 2012
Breivik now quotes from the Times, February 9 2010, a survey which allegedly said:
— Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) April 17, 2012
Breivik quotes from the Times: "3/5 englishmen believe that the UK has turned into a dysfunctional society as a result of multiculturalism"
— Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) April 17, 2012
I can find no record of the Times article he referred to in his evidence.
9.22am: Breivik has started giving evidence so the TV cameras are switched off.
Breivik:"I have carried out the most sophisticated and spectacular political attack committed in europe since the second world war."
— Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) April 17, 2012
9.14am: Breivik has been given permission by the judge to read the statement his defence counsel referred to yesterday. His lawyer said it would take about 30 minutes to read the statement.
Judge tells Breivik he does not have to give evidence but if he does so, he has duty to tell the truth. He will start reading by a statement
— Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) April 17, 2012
9.07am: The court is back in session. Lay judge Thomas Inderbro's statements on Facebook "may weaken the trust in his impartiality", says chief judge Elisabeth Arntzen.
As such he is to be dismissed from the case and replaced.
9.02am: Another update from Helen in Oslo while we wait for the trial to resume:
Various colleagues and Tweeters have asked why Breivik shook hands with court staff when he arrived in court for the first day of his trial yesterday. I checked with a judicial press officer and she said there is no convention - "what he did was neither normal nor abnormal". No one had to shake his hand. But the judicial authorities have have been at pains to treat Breivik's trial as a normal trial as much as possible. Even though Breivik has admitted the killings, he is pleading not guilty, on the grounds of "necessity". And in Norway, as in Britain and beyond, the accused is innocent until proven otherwise. So to refuse to shake Breivik's hand could have been seen to be not affording him the respect given to other "normal" defendants.
Breivik once more made a closed fist salute when he arrived in court this morning, as he did on day one.
8.31am: While we're waiting for the decision on the lay judge, Helen writes:

Sitting in court this week among all the journalists, lawyers, survivors and bereaved are at least two people who knew Breivik well. One, a reporter for the broadcasters NRK, went to school with him. The other, Kristoffer Nikolai Andresen, 33, is a childhood friend of the defendant who has been signed up by the Norwegian tabloid, VG, to report on the trial. I can't link to Andressen's full court report from Day one because it's not online, but he is at pains to stress that he no longer considers Breivik a friend.
8.19am: Helen writes:

The lay judge posted on Facebook last year that the "death penalty is the only just thing to do" in Breivik's case. This message was posted on 23 July, the day after Breivik's massacres.
The lead judge, Elisabeth Arntzen told the court that Thomas Inderbro, 33, a receptionist in his normal life, "acknowledges giving such statements". All the counsel were given the chance to object. The defence, prosecution and lawyers for the victims and bereaved all agreed that they viewed Inderbro as "legally incompetent" and should be replaced on the panel.
Under the Norwegian legal system, Breivik's case will be heard by a panel of two professional judges and three lay judges (i.e. members of the public).
8.12am: After the issue was raised by the prosecution, all parties i.e. prosecution defence and counsel for the aggrieved persons have all agreed that the lay judge alleged to have written on their facebook page last summer that Breivik deserved to be executed (see 8.03am) should be removed from the panel.
The judge has called for a 30 minute break.
8.08am: Another important update from Helen Pidd.
The English interpreters have just issued a clarification about a mistranslation yesterday of Breivik's defence. He did not invoke "self defence" but "necessity". This is allowed under section 47 of the Norwegian penal code.
Section 47 reads:

No person may be punished for any act that he has committed in order to save someone's person or property from an otherwise unavoidable danger when the circumstances justified him in regarding this danger as particularly significant in relation to the damage that might be caused by his act.
8.03am: Helen Pidd writes about an overnight development:
There has been an upset overnight after a blogger claimed that one of the lay judges had written on their Facebook page last summer that Breivik deserved to be executed. When the case resumes at 8am BST, the defence are expected
to ask for this judge to be removed from the panel. Luckily the court appointed a reserve judge, who was in court yesterday watching proceedings.
Once that matter is resolved, the judges will decide whether Breivik is allowed to read out a half-hour written statement he has prepared while on remand in prison. He will read this, if allowed, and will then give evidence, answering questions posed by the prosecution. His testimony is scheduled to last five days
.
7.58am: Good morning. Welcome to live coverage of day two of the trial of Anders Behring Breivik.
The accused is due to take to the stand to give evidence today. TV cameras have been banned from broadcasting his testimony to avoid giving Breivik a direct platform to air his views. However, reporters are still allowed in and Helen Pidd will be filing updates from the courtroom.
Yesterday, Breivik pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
You can read yesterday's live blog here.
And here is the news story that appeared in today's Guardian.

guardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds


via Christian Science Monitor | World on 4/17/12
The accused killer of 77 people gave a fascist salute as he entered the court in Oslo, Norway.


via Yahoo! News - Top Stories on 4/17/12
Norwegian Anders Behring Breivik, who is facing terrorism and premeditated murder charges, reacts as a video presented by the prosecution is shown in court, Oslo, Norway, Monday, April 16, 2012. Breivik, who confessed to killing 77 people in a bomb-and-shooting massacre went on trial in Norway's capital Monday, defiantly rejecting the authority of the court. (AP Photo/Heiko Junge, Pool)Lawyers on all sides on Tuesday requested that one of the lay judges trying confessed mass killer Anders Behring Breivik be dismissed for saying the anti-Muslim extremist deserves the death penalty for killing 77 people in a bomb-and-shooting massacre.

via Forensic Psychiatry News by Mike Nova on 4/16/12
Extremist Norwegian killer declared sane - FT.com

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April 10, 2012 3:29 pm

Extremist Norwegian killer declared sane

By Michael Stothard
Breivik, man accused of a killing spree and bomb attack in Norway
Anders Behring Breivik, the rightwing extremist who confessed to massacring 77 people in Norway last year, has been declared sane by a psychiatric team before his trial starting next week.
An assessment commissioned by Oslo District Court found that he was “not psychotic, unaware or severely mentally handicapped” during the shooting spree at a Labour party youth camp last July.
The findings contradict an assessment last November that found him to be insane and therefore potentially not fit for a conventional prison sentence. It raises the possibility Mr Breivik may face jail rather than being committed to a psychiatric ward if found guilty.
He could face up to 21 years in prison if found guilty with the potential for indefinite extensions to his term as long as he is considered a danger to the public.
Mr Breivik has always insisted he is mentally stable, saying he carried out the attacks in a “crusade” against multiculturalism and Islam. In a recent letter to the Norwegian tabloid Verdans Gang, he said being sent to a psychiatric ward would be a “fate worse than death”.
“To send a political activist to an asylum is more sadistic and more evil than killing him,” he wrote, adding that 80 per cent of the first report into his mental state was wrong.
The new report from forensic psychiatrists Terje Tørrissen and Agnar Aspaas concludes that he did not have “significantly weakened capacity for realistic evaluation of his relations with the outside world, and did not act under severely impaired consciousness”.
The report was drawn up on the basis of the case documents, interviews, health records and three weeks of observation in an institution. It concluded there was “a high risk of repetition of violence”.
Mr Breivik, who was charged last month with terrorism offences, has confessed to the attacks. He admitted last year to planting a bomb in Oslo and then driving to the island of Utøya and killing 67 people, mostly teenagers, and wounding 33 others.
Last month prosecutors said they would seek compulsory psychiatric care rather than jail because of the previous report declaring him psychotic, but reserved the right to change their minds. The court will ultimately have to decide whether to declare him insane or not.
The attacks, on July 22 last year, are the worst act of violence Norway has seen since the second world war and led to soul searching about how such a shocking crime could have occurred in a place normally known for safety, equality and wealth.

via Forensic Psychiatry News by Mike Nova on 4/16/12
Breivik refuses to recognise Oslo court - FT.com

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Last updated:April 16, 2012 11:43 am

Breivik refuses to recognise Oslo court

By Martin Sandbu in Oslo
The Norwegian who has admitted taking 77 lives in a terrorist bombing and shooting spree in July gave a fascist-style salute and refused to recognise the court at the start of his trial on Monday.
However, victims of the atrocity expressed satisfaction with the first day of Anders Behring Breivik’s trial for homicide and terrorism.
Tore Sinding Bekkedal, a Labour youth politician who survived the massacre at the Utøya summer camp, said he had worried about the “media circus” surrounding the trial. But he summed up the first day as “relievingly dignified”. Some 1,400 journalists from around the world have been accredited by the Oslo district court.
The accused looked nervous but exhilarated when he appeared in the courtroom. Once handcuffs were removed, he performed a salute by taking his right fist to his heart before extending the arm.
After the presiding judge, Wenche Elizabeth Arntzen, offered Mr Breivik the opportunity to speak, the accused said he did not recognise the court, “because its mandate derives from parties that support multiculturalism, and because you [Ms Arntzen] are a friend of Hanne Harlem, sister of Gro Harlem Brundtland”, the former Labour prime minister of Norway.
His lawyer explained later that Mr Breivik thought he should be tried by a military tribunal.
Mr Breivik stared down while the prosecution read the indictment, including the name of each person killed and the manner of their death in Oslo and on the island of Utøya. Mr Breivik acknowledged the actions but pleaded not guilty to terror and murder charges, saying he was acting in self-defence.
The accused, who otherwise rarely betrayed emotion, shocked the audience by weeping in court as the state prosecutor, Svein Holden, screened a 12-minute ideological slideshow that Mr Breivik had uploaded to the internet just hours before he carried out his attacks. He smiled and chatted with his lawyers when the court adjourned shortly afterward.
One of the most gripping moments of the day came when Mr Holden played a recording of a girl’s emergency call to the police while she was hiding from Mr Breivik in a toilet.
“I’m so scared” she could be heard whispering, as loud shots sounded in the background.
The prosecutor also played two calls Mr Breivik made to the police to surrender, neither of which seems to have been followed up.
Controversy has marked the preparations for the trial. In dispute is whether Mr Breivik was psychotic at the time of the act, as a first psychiatric evaluation concluded. If the court agrees, the law would rule out a criminal conviction but Mr Breivik could be sentenced to compulsory psychiatric care.
A second evaluation made a different diagnosis, which would permit a criminal sentence of a jail term of up to 21 years or indefinite detention.
Mr Holden said prosecutors had not decided whether to demand a criminal conviction. His co-prosecutor, Inga Bejer Engh, suggested that they will not present proofs for or against an insanity defence, but let the evidence “cast light from all sides”.
Lawyers for the victims said most of their clients would prefer a criminal conviction to be reassured of a sufficient punishment. They were worried that if the court found Mr Breivik to be psychotic, there was a chance that he would be let out once he was cured. Legal professionals said this was unlikely but Mr Breivik’s case would come up for regular review.
Mr Breivik himself wants to be judged as legally competent. He pleaded not guilty and instructed his lawyers to demand that he be set free because he acted on a “principle of necessity”.
Many Norwegians are angry that Mr Breivik can use the proceedings as a way to put forward his extreme anti-Muslim views. His lawyer has warned that Mr Breivik may say he regrets “not having gone further”.
The accused is due to start testifying on Tuesday. He has requested permission from the court to read out prepared remarks for the first 30 minutes.

via Forensic Psychiatry News by Mike Nova on 4/16/12
Anders Behring Breivik's Raised Fist -- The Varied Meanings - NYTimes.com

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via Yahoo! News - Top Stories on 4/17/12
Accused Norwegian Anders Behring Breivik gestures as he arrives at the courtroom, in Oslo, Norway, Tuesday April 17, 2012. The anti-Muslim fanatic who admitted to killing 77 people in a bomb-and-shooting massacre is set to take the stand in his terror trial. Anders Behring Breivik will have five days to explain why he set off a bomb in Oslo's government district, killing eight, and then gunned down 69 at a Labor Party youth camp outside the Norwegian capital. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)A citizen judge in the trial of confessed mass killer Anders Behring Breivik was dismissed Tuesday for saying online that the anti-Muslim extremist deserves the death penalty for killing 77 people in a bomb-and-shooting massacre.

via Uploads by AFP by AFP on 4/16/12
Right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik pleaded not guilty to charges he committed "acts of terror" when he massacred 77 people in twin attacks in Norway last July. Duration: 01:12
From:AFP
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via Yahoo! News - Top Stories on 4/17/12
Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik gestures as he arrives for his terrorism and murder trial in OsloOSLO (Reuters) - The Norwegian far-right gunman who massacred 77 people last summer gave a clenched-fist salute, smirked at the court and pleaded not guilty on the first day of a trial that threatens to turn into a "circus" showcasing his anti-Islamic views. Anders Behring Breivik, 33, has said he acted in defence of his country by setting off a car bomb that killed eight people at government headquarters in Oslo last July, then killing another 69 people in a shooting spree at a youth summer camp organised by the ruling Labour Party. ...

via Yahoo! News - Top Stories on 4/17/12
OSLO (Reuters) - The Norwegian far-right gunman who massacred 77 people last summer took to the stand for the first time on Tuesday at his trial, describing it as a sophisticated and spectacular attack. "I have carried out the most sophisticated and spectacular political attack committed in Europe since the Second World War," Anders Behring Breivik told the court, reading from a prepared statement. ...

via Yahoo! News - Top Stories on 4/17/12
OSLO (Reuters) - The court putting Norwegian killer Anders Behring Breivik on trial for massacring 77 people last year dismissed a lay judge on Tuesday after he posted a comment on a Facebook page saying the gunman should face the death penalty. The trial against Breivik began on Monday, with two professional judges, as well as three lay judges chosen from civil society, presiding over the court. After the killings last July, lay judge Thomas Indreboe posted "the death penalty is the only just outcome of this case" on a Facebook page. ...

via Yahoo! News - Top Stories on 4/17/12
Accused Norwegian Anders Behring Breivik gestures as he arrives at the courtroom, in Oslo, Norway, Tuesday April 17, 2012. The anti-Muslim fanatic who admitted to killing 77 people in a bomb-and-shooting massacre is set to take the stand in his terror trial. Anders Behring Breivik will have five days to explain why he set off a bomb in Oslo's government district, killing eight, and then gunned down 69 at a Labor Party youth camp outside the Norwegian capital. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)Anders Behring Breivik on Tuesday defended his massacre of 77 people, insisting he would do it again and calling the bomb-and-shooting rampage the most "spectacular" attack by a nationalist militant since World War II.

via NYT > Global Home by By MARK LEWIS and ALAN COWELL on 4/17/12
Anders Behring Breivik took the stand for the first time on Tuesday, describing his killing of 77 people last year as a “sophisticated political act” and saying he would do it over again.

via NYT > Global Opinion by By ANDREW ROSENTHAL on 4/16/12
The Norwegian anti-Islamic militant will face a maximum sentence of 21 years. That's nothing, by American standards.

via NYT > Home Page by By MARK LEWIS and ALAN COWELL on 4/17/12
Anders Behring Breivik took the stand for the first time on Tuesday, describing his killing of 77 people last year as a “sophisticated political act” and saying he would do it over again.
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Breivik trial: live report - Yahoo! News

Breivik trial: live report - Yahoo! News

Breivik trial: live report

By Ruth Holmes | AFP – 9 mins ago
0933 GMT: He says there will be "war between internationalists and nationalists in Europe" and predicts it will happen within a decade.
0932 GMT: He claims the leaders of France, Britain and Germany have acknowledged that multiculturalism doesn't work, adding: "In Norway, the opposite is happening ... We are getting more immigration."
0930 GMT: Judge asks if he is almost finished. Breivik says he has one page to go.
0929 GMT: He says "rivers of blood caused by Muslims" flow through European cities, such as Madrid, London.
"European multiculturalists are so arrogant that they don't want dialogue with us (militant nationalists) ... instead they have chosen censorship, ridicule."
0924 GMT: He continues: "It is extremely unfair and it is unacceptable… We as Norway's indigenous population … have special rights to this country and this is something we will fight for."
0923 GMT: He compares himself to the Crazy Bull and other Indians who fought for their people. He then likens his cause to Tibetans fighting for autonomy.
"Does Norway have a indigenous population?" he asks. "Yes, ethnic Norwegians."
0919 GMT: Breivik insists he has three pages to go, containing "essential information."
He describes neighbourhoods in Oslo, like Groruddalen, as a "no go zone for anyone but Muslims".
"I am born and raised in a conflict zone," he adds. "Many Muslims do not wish to be included .. they despise Norway. Many Muslims in Norway and Europe want autonomy. Sharia self-rule."
0915 GMT: A lawyer for survivors and family members interrupts, says she has received numerous messages from her clients reacting to Breivik being allowed to continue his ideological rant. Judge tells him to get to his conclusion.
0912 GMT: "Christians are a persecuted minority," says Breivik. He then moves on to talk about Islamisation: "There are no secular or liberal Muslims. There is just Islam. There are only Muslims and the 'fallen' … who have no influence over Islam".
He claims thousands of his "Norwegian sisters and brothers" have been raped by Muslims.
0907 GMT: Judge is getting impatient, as are family members in the room. Breivik tells judge: "There has been a lot of talk about the five days I have been given, but I never asked for five days. Just this one hour. It is of critical importance,"
0905 GMT: Evoking the destruction of Norwegian society he says: "All that remains is sushi and flat screens".
"Aggressive cultures .. like Islam will grow .. as aggressively as cancer", he adds.
0900 GMT: Breivik says he supports "the Japanese and South Korean model", adding :these such terrible regimes". "They are living proof that nations can be successful, even more successful if they say no to mass immigration".
Judge asks Breivik to keep it short. He says he has reached halfway. He says he can't shorten his speech but agrees to limit discussion of Japan and South Korea. He jumps several pages.
0856 GMT: "I wrote in my compendium that I would be demonised … that is part of the price we pay ... die as a martyr ... is the biggest honour a man or woman could experience in their life. "
"The knowledge that I will be imprisoned does not scare me .. I was born into a prison .. forced to watch my own people be degraded … In this prison you are not allowed to protest .. this prison is called Norway."
0851 GMT: He continues: "Most AUFs (labour youth) are naive and indoctrinated. These were not innocent children, but political activists."
"AUF is like Hitler Jugend."
Judge Wenche reminds Breivik that he had promised to modify his rhetoric. "Please do that," she tells him.
0848 GMT: Life in prison or dying for his people is 'THE BIGGEST HONOUR', says Breivik.
0846 GMT: "The only thing that should surprise Norway is that such a large action has not happened previously. And YES, I WOULD HAVE DONE IT AGAIN." Crimes against his people are much more brutal, he adds.
0843 GMT: He asserts that some forms of violence can prevent greater violence, adding that killing 70 people will stop a civil war in Europe.
"A large civil war will be avoided … We unfortunately don't have the luxury to wait longer", he says, claiming that ethnic Norwegians in a few decades will be in a minority.
0839 GMT: He continues: "People who call me evil have misunderstood the difference between evil and brutal."
He compares himself to the Americans who decided to drop nuclear bombs on Japan, saying they had "good intentions and motives ... even though the methods they used were brutal."
0836 GMT: "When peaceful revolution is made impossible, the only option is violent revolution," Breivik says.
0835 GMT: Breivik sounds as if he is reading an academic paper, listing studies and statistics to show that Europe and Norway are "dysfunctional" due to their multiculturalism, reports AFP's Larson. He has one hand resting on his thigh, one on his document on the table in front of him.
The judge asks him if he is reading his manifesto. "No" he replies. "These are my prepared remarks."
0830 GMT: He bemoans rampant media censorship in Norway, pointing to negative coverage of the Progress Party.
0829 GMT: "Is it democratic that the people of Norway have never been consulted by referendum on whether more foreigners should be accepted ... to the point of becoming a minority in their own country," Breivik asks the court.
0826 GMT: The defendant is reading steadily from his script, lamenting that the growth of a multicultural society after WWII has led to "cultural self-hatred".
0823 GMT: "I have conducted the most spectacular operation carried out by a nationalist militant this century," boasts Breivik.
0821 GMT: He claims European regimes are not democratic and declares his cause as: "CULTURAL MARXISM".
0819 GMT: Breivik claims Norway's media has painted him as a loser and gives a long list of less than flattering terms they've apparently used.
0817 GMT: Breivik says he has "toned down his rhetoric" for the sake of survivors and victims' families and hopes it will be within an "acceptable framework".
0815 GMT: Five and a half days have been allotted to Breivik's testimony, and many fear he will try to promote his Islamophobic ideology.
0814 GMT BREIVIK STARTS TESTIFYING.
0813 JUDGE RULES BREIVIK CAN TESTIFY.
0812 GMT: Indreboe will be replaced by substitute judge Anne Elisabeth Wisloeff.
0810 GMT: Lead judge Wenche Elizabeth Arntzen says calls by lay judge Indreboe for Breivik to face death penalty "weakened confidence".
0807 GMT: JUDGE IN BREIVIK TRIAL DEEMED UNFIT BY COURT
0806 GMT: COURT BACK IN SESSION.
0758 GMT: It is worth remembering that the death penalty does not exist in Norway, says AFP's Pierre-Henry Deshayes. The maximum penalty Breivik faces, if found criminally responsible, is 21 years in prison, but this could be extended indefinitely if he is still considered a danger to society after that period.
0750 GMT: Freddy Lie, the father of a girl killed by Breivik, tells Dagbladet newspaper: "It's strange that the court didn't check the impartiality of the lay judges before the trial."
0744 GMT: Indreboe's controversial comments appeared on the Verdens Gang newspaper website on the day after the July 22 attacks when he reportedly wrote: "The death penalty is the only fair outcome in this case!!!!" The citizen judge is said to have used a Facebook account to connect to the newspaper's website.
Three citizens were selected at random to sit with two professional judges on the panel trying Breivik.
0728 GMT: There are substitute judges present, so if Indreboe is deemed unfit, he will likely be immediately replaced and the trial should continue as scheduled, reports AFP's Nina Larson.
0726 GMT: Lead judge Wenche Elizabeth Arntzen addresses the question of alleged remarks by one of the judges, Thomas Indreboe, calling for Breivik to face the death penalty. "The lay judge himself has acknowledged that he made these comments on July 23," she says.
The judge says the court will retire for 30 minutes to make a decision over the matter after both prosecution and defence said they considered Indreboe unfit.
0710 GMT: The defendant is again wearing a black suit and gold tie. He whispers something to his lawyer, his fists clenched at his side, Larson reports.
The official translator has issued a correction in relation to Monday's proceedings, reports Deshayes. When Breivik pleaded not guilty he invoked "legitimate defence", translated by some media as "self defence". Official interpreters say the judicial term is "on grounds of necessity".
0704 GMT: Breivik stands, glances slowly around the courtroom at everyone seated there, reports Nina Larson. He has a pile of papers in front of him -- presumably the 30-minute speech he has asked to deliver to the court.
0659 GMT: Members of the defence team arrive in court, wearing long black robes, along with prosecutors Inga Bejer Engh and Svein Holden. All psychiatric experts have taken their seats.
Questions have arisen over the impartiality of one of the judges, my colleague Pierre-Henry Deshayes reports. After the attacks, a judge allegedly demanded the death penalty for Breivik. "The death penalty is the only justice for this case," Norway's media cited him as saying.
0652 GMT: "The courtroom is teeming with journalists, and some family members of victims have also taken their seats," says AFP's Nina Larson from the courthouse. Once the trial opens, a limited number of camera crews will be allowed to shoot for the first five minutes. They are banned from broadcasting Breivik's testimony.
0646 GMT: Three of the four psychiatric experts enter the court, where they will continue to observe Breivik.
The accused pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges of acts of terror but he did acknowledge carrying out the attacks. The trial will therefore focus not on his guilt but on the question of whether he can be held responsible for his actions. It will essentially determine whether Breivik is sent to prison or a psychiatric ward.
0640 GMT: "Today's proceedings will be focussed on one problem: the opportunity for Breivik to expose his ideology in order to explain his acts, and therefore the risk that the trial could turn into a platform for his extremist views," explains AFP's Philippe Deshayes from outside the Oslo district court.
To recap, Breivik's lawyer Geir Lippestad on Monday asked permission for his client to read a text on the second day of the trial which would last around 30 minutes. He believes the defendant must be heard in an effort to establish his mental state.
WELCOME TO AFP'S LIVE REPORT on the trial of Anders Behring Breivik over the killing of 77 people in twin attacks in Norway last July. As the trial enters its second day in Oslo, Breivik will be given the opportunity to give his own account of the massacre.
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BBC News - Breivik takes stand in Norway massacre trial

BBC News - Breivik takes stand in Norway massacre trial

17 April 2012 Last updated at 05:17 ET

Breivik takes stand in Norway massacre trial

Anders Behring Breivik. 17 April 2012 Anders Behring Breivik has said that he does not recognise the court

Norway Attacks

The man accused of killing 77 people in bomb and gun attacks in Norway last July is defending his actions as he takes the stand at his trial in Oslo.
"I have carried out the most spectacular and sophisticated attack on Europe since World War II," Anders Behring Breivik told the court.
Breivik also told the court that he would do it all again.
Although he admits the bombing and attack on a youth camp, he has pleaded not guilty to terror and mass murder.
"These acts are based on goodness, not evil," he said, adding that he had toned down his rhetoric out of concern for the victims.
Comments limited Earlier Breivik's lawyers warned that many Norwegians would find his comments upsetting. Geir Lippestad also said that he understood concerns by victims' families that Breivik would use his trial as a pulpit.
His testimony or those of his witnesses will not be broadcast.
The BBC's Matthew Price in the courtroom says that Breivik's evidence will be crucial in working out if he is criminally insane and psychiatrists in court have been observing him closely.
One of the questions at the very heart of this trial, which is expected to last for 10 weeks, is Breivik's mental state. Breivik has already said that he does not recognise the court.

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We are being given a lengthy explanation of Breivik's world view. He is calm and clear. ”
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image of Matthew Price Matthew Price BBC News
Despite repeated interruptions from the judge to cut down his speech, Breivik insisted that he had more to say, although he agreed to limit his comments to Norway.
Breivik's comments have ranged from his criticisms of liberalism and Marxism to claims that he "supports the model in South Korea and Japan".
Our correspondent says his comments about Norway fit in with his belief that liberal ideals are ruining Norway and are the reason why he attacked the governing Labour party summer camp on Utoeya island and government offices.
"I am not scared by the prospect of being in prison all my life. I was born in a prison where I could not express my beliefs," he told the court, adding: "This prison is called Norway".
Judge substituted
As the day began, the court was briefly adjourned and one of three lay judges dismissed for saying last July that Breivik should face the death penalty.
A lay judge is an ordinary member of the public who forms part of the judgement panel. The one dismissed will be replaced by a substitute who was observing proceedings yesterday.

Breivik's Norway attacks

Victims of the 22 July attacks in Norway
  • 8 people killed and 209 injured by bomb in Oslo
  • 69 people killed on Utoeya island, of them 34 aged between 14 and 17
  • 33 injured on Utoeya
  • Nearly 900 people affected by attacks
On Monday, prosecutors played harrowing recordings of the events and described the fate of each victim in detail.
Throughout the evidence, Breivik remained emotionless, although he broke down weeping when the court played a 12-minute anti-Islam video which he had posted online on the day of the carnage.
Breivik's lawyer later said that his client appeared to have cried over feelings that his attacks were "cruel but necessary... to save Europe from an ongoing war". He added that Breivik "has a right to explain himself".
Breivik detonated a bomb in a van parked outside government offices in Oslo on 22 July, killing eight people.
He then travelled to Utoeya where, dressed as a police officer, he shot dead a further 69 people who were attending a youth camp run by the governing Labour party.
The 33-year-old Norwegian was found insane in one examination, while a second assessment made public last week found him mentally competent.
If the court decides he is criminally insane, he will be committed to psychiatric care; if he is judged to be mentally stable, he will be jailed if found guilty.
If jailed, he faces a sentence of 21 years which could be extended to keep him behind bars for the rest of his life.
The courtroom has been specially built for the trial to accommodate more than 200 people. Glass partitions have been put up to separate the victims and their families from Breivik.

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Monday, April 16, 2012

Extremist Norwegian killer declared sane - FT.com

Extremist Norwegian killer declared sane - FT.com

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April 10, 2012 3:29 pm

Extremist Norwegian killer declared sane

By Michael Stothard
Breivik, man accused of a killing spree and bomb attack in Norway
Anders Behring Breivik, the rightwing extremist who confessed to massacring 77 people in Norway last year, has been declared sane by a psychiatric team before his trial starting next week.
An assessment commissioned by Oslo District Court found that he was “not psychotic, unaware or severely mentally handicapped” during the shooting spree at a Labour party youth camp last July.

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The findings contradict an assessment last November that found him to be insane and therefore potentially not fit for a conventional prison sentence. It raises the possibility Mr Breivik may face jail rather than being committed to a psychiatric ward if found guilty.
He could face up to 21 years in prison if found guilty with the potential for indefinite extensions to his term as long as he is considered a danger to the public.
Mr Breivik has always insisted he is mentally stable, saying he carried out the attacks in a “crusade” against multiculturalism and Islam. In a recent letter to the Norwegian tabloid Verdans Gang, he said being sent to a psychiatric ward would be a “fate worse than death”.
“To send a political activist to an asylum is more sadistic and more evil than killing him,” he wrote, adding that 80 per cent of the first report into his mental state was wrong.
The new report from forensic psychiatrists Terje Tørrissen and Agnar Aspaas concludes that he did not have “significantly weakened capacity for realistic evaluation of his relations with the outside world, and did not act under severely impaired consciousness”.
The report was drawn up on the basis of the case documents, interviews, health records and three weeks of observation in an institution. It concluded there was “a high risk of repetition of violence”.
Mr Breivik, who was charged last month with terrorism offences, has confessed to the attacks. He admitted last year to planting a bomb in Oslo and then driving to the island of Utøya and killing 67 people, mostly teenagers, and wounding 33 others.
Last month prosecutors said they would seek compulsory psychiatric care rather than jail because of the previous report declaring him psychotic, but reserved the right to change their minds. The court will ultimately have to decide whether to declare him insane or not.
The attacks, on July 22 last year, are the worst act of violence Norway has seen since the second world war and led to soul searching about how such a shocking crime could have occurred in a place normally known for safety, equality and wealth.
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