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Subscribe to RSSAnders Breivik gave a defiant, closed-fist salute as he walked into the court room on the first day of his trial for 77 murders. ITN's Damon Green reports.
Updated at 12:25 p.m. ET: Militant Anders Behring Breivik admitted he killed 77 people in a massacre last July, but said he was pleading not guilty on the first day of a trial that threatens to turn into a "circus" showcasing his anti-Islamic views.
As he arrived in court - the early part of the session was broadcast on television - Breivik gave a salute, raising his arm with his fist clenched.
The 33-year-old said: "I do not recognize the Norwegian courts. You have received your mandate from political parties which support multiculturalism. I do not acknowledge the authority of the court."
The trial will turn on whether Breivik is found guilty or insane. If sane, he faces up to 21 years in prison; if deemed criminally insane, he would be committed to psychiatric care.
Shed tears
Listening impassively for hours as prosecutors read out an indictment detailing how he massacred teenagers trapped on a island resort outside Oslo, he only shed tears when the court later showed one of his propaganda videos.
Fabrizio Bensch / Reuters
Anders Behring Breivik raises his fist as he arrives to courtroom for the first day of his trial in Oslo, Monday.
"I acknowledge the acts but not criminal guilt as I claim self defence," he added, seated in front of a bullet-proof glass wall.
Occasionally suppressing a yawn, cracking his knuckles and sipping water, he stared down at the indictment papers, following without visible emotion the list of his killings as the prosecutor read out each one. Some details were so graphic that Norwegian television bleeped out descriptions of the massacres.
Breivik shot most of his victims several times, often using the first shot to take down his target then following up with a shot to the head. His youngest victim was 14. He later surrendered as "commander of the Norwegian resistance movement".
Prosecutors played a recording of an emergency call made by one of the summer campers hiding in the bathroom of a cafe.
"There's shooting all the time, I've seen many injured. He's inside!" Renate Taarnes screamed, as 13 people in the cafe were shot dead. "He's coming ... he's coming," she said as shots could be heard in the background.
But Breivik only became tearful while watching a movie of still pictures accompanied by text of his vision of evils of "multiculturalism" and "Islamic demographic warfare".
"I think he feels sorry for himself," said Mette Yvonne Larsen, one of the lawyers representing victims. "His project didn't work out, that's why he's crying. He's not crying for the victims ... he's crying over his extremely childish film."
Heiko Junge / Pool via AFP - Getty Images
Rightwing extremist Anders Behring Breivik sheds a tear during his trial in Oslo courthouse as the court views a propaganda film he made.
The trial is scheduled to last 10 weeks and has raised fears that it could reopen wounds in Norway, a country that sees itself as a tolerant and peaceful society.
PhotoBlog: Anders Breivik in court
The "lone wolf" killer intends to say he was defending Norway against multiculturalism and Islam. He says his attacks were intended to punish "traitors" whose pro-immigration policies were adulterating Norwegian blood.
More than 200 people sat in the specially built courtroom while about 700 attack survivors and family members of victims watched on closed-circuit video around the country.
"It will be a tough time for many," survivor Vegard Groeslie Wennesland, 28, said outside the courtroom. "Last time I saw him in person he was shooting my friends."
Report: Threat from anti-jihadist extremists grows
Last July 22, Breivek set off a bomb in the centre of Oslo before heading to the youth camp on Utoeya, an island in a lake 25 miles outside the capital, gunning down his victims while police took more than an hour to get to the massacre site in the chaos that followed the bomb blast.
Disguised as a police officer, Breivik managed to lure some of his victims out of hiding, saying help had arrived. Other victims jumped into the lake, where he shot them in the water.
New details have emerged about the arrest of self-confessed Norwegian killer Anders Breivik, as well as the terror rampage left 76 people dead in the normally peaceful Scandinavian country. NBC's Martin Fletcher reports.
Prosecutor Inga Bejer Engh spoke of the "panic and mortal fear in children, youths and adults" trapped on the island.
While video footage of the Oslo bomb blast was played to the court, victims and their families cried as but Breivik smiled on several occasions.
Prosecutors painted an image of a Breivik obsessed with the "World of Warcraft" computer game, prompting the judge to ask whether the game was violent. Breivik broke into a smile when the image of his online character was displayed.
An initial psychiatric evaluation concluded that Breivik was criminally insane while a second, completed in the past week, found no evidence of psychosis. Resolving this conflict could be the five-judge panel's major decision.
If found guilty and sane, Breivik faces a maximum 21-year sentence but could be held indefinitely if he is considered a continuing danger. If declared insane, he would be held in a psychiatric institution indefinitely with periodic reviews.
Meanwhile he has made clear he intends to make use of the trial to air his views when he testifies next week.
"Your arrest will mark the initiation of the propaganda phase," he wrote in a manual for future attackers, part of a 1,500-page manifesto he posted online, according to Reuters. "Your trial offers you a stage to the world."
In a recent letter seen by Norwegian newspaper VG, Breivik added: "The court case looks like it will be a circus ... it is an absolutely unique opportunity to explain the idea of (the manifesto) to the world."
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Perhaps the media shouldn't make a big deal out of this man or any other friggin lunetic. That's what they are looking for. Mention it once and don't mention it again until he is convicted. Yes we all need to know what is going on in the world but lets not beat it to friggin death by days and nights and more days and nights as to what is going on.
Marion Roy I agree but my point, the one that has me pissed off, is that this man faces no more than 21 years for murdering 77 people, many of whom were children. Premeditated murder of children yet he only faces 21 years? As Americans we can never let European law influence or intrude upon our nation. I can live with no death penalty. I agree with the death penalty and support it but to put a law in affect that says natural life in prison is cruel and unusual leaves the door open for just this kind of scenario. If you murder someone you should never get out of prison, never!!!!!!!! European law sucks in that regard. Good Day, Joe.
Of course this guy needs to be put in jail for good. And he will. Killing him would have an negative effect. He would become a martyr for all the slimeball retarded right wingers in this world!
21 years for killing 77; I hope this is wrong.
Sorry excuse of a human being. Gun his ass down, the same way those people died. That he doesn't regret killing, by the way. In fact, would have done more. Who deserves the attention, media, prison for that matter?! Different country or not, pleading as "insane" is a COPOUT!
instead of shooting innocent kids, he should have figured out why there are so many muslims in his country. answer: because the west are in their country
His K/D ratio must be amazing!
A candidate for the Brazen Bull if ever there was one. Have him shriek you have no authority over me as he roasts. And toss his mom in too if she utters one word about what a GOOD boy he was
EXCUSE ME! Can anyone get picture of this filthy ,smelly, fowl,piece of SH IT excuse for a HUMAN BEING off the front of my computer?
Look at him! He isn't worth the powder to blow him to HELL!
Disgusting and Despicable example of a dirty low life at the bottom of the Food Chain!
YES!!!!
@gloria: You tell 'em Gloria! You go girl.
Huh? Why are we listening to this murderer? Hang him, forget him, remember the victims.
His K/D ratio must be amazing!
Dude! my nickname was Horse Cock in the Navy so eat your heart out and get lost, "little" boy!
Please consider not showing this guy's picture anymore. All he wants is the exposure. Try him, put him away for life, and let us hope nobody else thinks this is a great way to get your face in the news.
If this was done in the states this guy would get the death penalty. At the very least he would get life in prison without option for parole. 21 years for 77 murders? Something is wrong with the justice system in Norway. The US justice system isn't perfect either, but it serves more justice than the Norwegian's. In the US you don't commit mass murder, get 21 years in prison, get reassessed, get another 5 or if they find out that you are not a danger to society then let you out? You do the crime you pay for it.
So much for Europe's progressive society. I would rather not live in such a society. I have lived in Europe so I'm not ignorant of it.
Anders and other murderers like him need to be put to death as soon as possible once convicted. Why should any society keep such killers around when the only reason they are kept around is too make money for the warden and the prison that they are kept in at the taxpayers expense.
Hitler killed over 6 million Jews during World War Two was he not guilty of giving the order to kill the Jews? I am certain that those who killed the Jews didn't independantly think that they should all get together and kill a bunch of people one day.
Anders should be sent to Gitmo with the rest of the terrorists.
Does anyone else think that the ANP (American Nazi Party) should continue to be allowed to be a lobby group in America?
The ANP is just going to bolster acts like Anders did not only in Norway but in America as well. Its just a matter of time before the ANP strikes here in America.
This should be a wake up call to the "Anti-Gunners" in this country. Norway has some of the most restrictive "gun" laws in the world. Then on top t of this it was a "Gun Free Youth Camp". Does that sound familiar, "Gun Free School Zone. You know, where most of our mass murders have been committed.
Mexico is another anti-gun country ,but, the cartels are better armed than many countries. This is why Americans should be as well armed as their potential enemies and be the militia the 2bnd Amendment meant them to be. It happened in Yemen the other day when the citizens backed up the military against the El Qaida in their area.
Our prisons are full of murderers that are to evil to be alive. Mass murderer Richard Wade Farley for one. Charles Manson for another hundreds of gang members. The list goes on and on. There are people out there would rather spends billions of dollars to keep these people alive giving them the possibility of release some time than get rid of them and using the space and money for better things.
and this guy still breathes, WHY? AND why aren't there exceptions in today's society to just toss him into some lava in Hawaii. it's bewildering. don't let that scum breathe the same air i do. he admits he was sorry he didn't kill MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i said it before and i will keep saying it till some common sense rules (never). WE'RE DOOMED!
What difference does it make who this psycho hates? He can hate Santa clause for all I care, facts are facts. He killed 77 people he should get 21 years for every person he killed not all together. I understand the argument against the death penalty but there should be a balance-- this guy should never see the light of day. If he only does 21 years I hope someone puts a bullet in-between his eyes when he is leaving prison. The war between good and evil never ends.
The only problem with this guy is what if it were me or you had thought needed killing? Of course he's insane! Sane people don't do what he did, But T.M. killed as many and he got the table....Execute this guy and save the state time and money. Insanity is not a criminal defense. Most real insane people are a danger to themselves and are not criminals. Murderers who think they can act crazy to avoid prosecution or execution need to be removed for our safety not preserved for the pyschologist's purpose.
The facts of the case will hardly be at issue; even before the court hearing Breivik had proudly admitted bombing the government's headquarters in Oslo last July, killing eight people, before gunning down 69, mostly teenagers, at a summer camp of the ruling Labor Party.
However, the court will have to decide whether Breivik is sane. If sane, he faces up to 21 years in prison; if deemed criminally insane, he would be committed to psychiatric care.
How does he face only 21 years??? That is the insane part of this!
SANE??? Was Hilter sane????
Only 21 years for 77 murders?? Human life is not valued very much. He should get the death penalty. There is no doubt about his guilt.
21 years for killing 77 people - now that is INSANE !
Judge: So you shot 77 people and killed them
Breivik: Yes sir I did
Judge: So your guilty of their deaths
Breivik: No I'm not guilty
Judge: You say you killed them right
Brivik: Right
Judge: So your guilty Right
Breivik: NO
Doesn't this sound like the old Abbot and Costello "Who's on First" routine?
To everyone complaining about the 21 year maximum in Norway and the posh prison luxury,take this into account.If all he gets is one 21 year term and then gets out,what is stopping one of the victims family from offing him?I live in America,yet I can easily see this system as better than ours.Let us put this in perspective.If someone kills 3 of my friends and family,and is found guilty,having to serve 3 years in prison,then I could kill him and serve one year or less (and I would)....This gives criminals somthing to look at,do they really want to kill,knowing revenge is a viable option from the victom or thier family.Family revenge would be more viable for the insanity case aswell,since you loved the family member and could not control your actions.
I see your point. But, what this says to me is Norway doesn't value human life very much....and, by inference, prefers to excuse criminals on the basis that their crimes are somehow society's fault. It's just part of the no-responsibility-for-my-actions philosophy that permeates these societies...it's always somebody else's fault. We've been heading down that road ourselves....watch this play out closely...you're seeing our own future.
WOW! 21 years for killing 77 human beings? Are they freaking nuts!
John...this is Norway...they are not to be taken seriously....they live in a fool's world where this doesn't happen....now that is has, they have no way to deal with it.
only 21 years if found sane and guilty. That's like 6 1/2 months for each person. I hope that is a typo and it's 21 years per person. Actually he need the death penalty. He has no remorse and sitting in prison being fed, housed, clothed and breathing air will be a piece of cake for him. Let the families decide his punishment.
Wait a minute...he killed 77 people and his possible prison term is 21 years? What the hell? Did I read that wrong?
I know of a case here in L.A. where a gang banger was aiming at another gang banger. As he pulled the trigger a 19year old girl walked into the path and died. He got 6 years for involuntary manslaughter. He would have gotten more if he had killed the other gang banger and doing the world a service at the same time. "GO FISH"!