Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.

Anders Behring Breivik, responsible for the 2011 Norway attacks that killed 77 people, will present his case to end his isolation in prison, asserting it violates his human rights. The 44-year-old, who disseminated a manifesto outlining his extremist beliefs before the attacks, is also challenging the state to ease restrictions on his external communications.

Breivik, who resides in a dedicated section of Ringerike high-security prison, is equipped with several amenities and is allowed limited contact with the outside world, including guards, a priest, health professionals, and occasional inmate interaction. His lawyer, Oeystein Storrvik, claims that over a decade of minimal interaction has severely impacted Breivik’s mental health, leading to suicidal tendencies and reliance on antidepressants.

However, the justice ministry insists on his isolation due to the persistent security threat he poses and the need to control his communications, given the risk of inspiring further violence.

What did Breivik do?
In 2011, Breivik carried out a string of attacks in Norway, including detonating a van bomb that killed eight people. Following this, Breivik killed 69 people in a mass shooting on the island of Utoya. Breivik said the attacks were pushed by his opposition to Islam and blamed feminism for what he described as Europe’s “cultural suicide.” 

The upcoming hearing comes after Breivik’s previous legal challenge in 2016, which was initially successful but was later overturned on appeal.