Norwegian mass killer Breivik says his attacks were ‘necessary’ in parole bid

By Gwladys Fouche

SANDVIKA, Norway (Reuters) -Anders Behring Breivik, the jailed mass murderer who killed 77 in Norway’s worst peacetime atrocity, told a court his attacks were “necessary” as he asked for early release on Tuesday, but a prosecutor said he remained dangerous and should not be freed.

In July 2011, the anti-Muslim neo-Nazi killed eight with a car bomb in Oslo and then gunned down 69, most of them teenagers, at a Labour Party youth camp on Utoeya island.

This is Breivik’s second attempt at parole. He has served 13 years of a 21-year sentence, the maximum penalty at the time of his crimes, which can be extended for as long as he is deemed a threat to society.

In a 45-minute-long, often rambling, statement to the court, Breivik briefly expressed regret for his actions, before describing how he was treated “like an animal” in jail and how, should he be freed, he would negotiate with the state for his far-right supporters to stop their attacks on society, without giving details of any specific attacks.

“I hereby guarantee that you would not regret it (releasing me),” he told the court. “I give you the last chance to give the far-right pity.”

Later, under questioning from Judge Lena Fagervold, Breivik said “July 22 was necessary”, referring to the date of his attacks.

Breivik wore a dark suit, white shirt and brown tie. Both sides of his head were shaved to form the letter “Z”.

The letter “Z” has been a symbol of support for Russia’s war in Ukraine and Breivik on Tuesday described Russian President Vladimir Putin as “the foremost defender of Europeans globally”.

Merete Stamneshagen, whose 18-year-old daughter Silje was murdered by Breivik at Utoeya, said Breivik showed no real signs of regret.

“He has his own picture of reality,” she told Reuters from a court room in Sandvika, a suburb of Oslo, where proceedings were being broadcast.

She added his attempt at parole, the sixth time Breivik has appeared in court, was difficult for victims’ relatives to experience.

“This brings us right back to 2011 … It is a constant reminder,” she said. “(But) this is how our justice system works and we must respect it.”

Earlier, prosecutor Hulda Karlsdottir told the court Breivik should not be released.

“Is there a danger Breivik will commit crimes against life and health again? The danger is real,” she said, adding that a fresh risk assessment report concluded the risk of Breivik being violent again remained the same.

The latest parole application is being heard at the high-security prison where he is held, set on the shore of the Tyrifjorden lake, where Utoeya also lies. The court is set up in the prison’s gymnasium.

Breivik’s first attempt at release, in 2022, was unsuccessful. At that hearing, Breivik argued he had put violence behind him but did not renounce his neo-Nazi sympathies, saying merely he would continue his fight for white supremacy through peaceful means.

Separately, Breivik has sought to improve his prison conditions by arguing that being held in isolation violates his human rights. His latest attempt to change the terms of his detention, in January, was rejected. Breivik’s appeal will be heard in December.

(Reporting by Gwladys FoucheEditing by Christina Fincher, Alexandra Hudson)