Norway Shooting: Anders Behring Breivik Makes First Public Court Appearance
Norway’s lone-wolf terrorist Anders Behring Breivik made his first public court appearance in an Oslo court on Monday.
The court hearing was to determine if Breivik should remain in custody until his official trial on terror charges begins in early 2012. Prosecutors asked the court to keep Breivik in custody for 12 more weeks.
The court agreed to requests to keep Breivik in custody, as expected.
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Breivik, a far right-wing extremist, refused to recognize the authority of the court, arguing against the multicultural society the legal body represents.
Breivik attempted to address the court referring to himself as Commander of the Knights Templar, a title he used in his 1,500-page manifesto.
“I am a military commander in the Norwegian resistance movement and the Knights Templar Norway,” he said. “Regarding the competence (of the court), I object to it because you received your mandate from organizations that support hate ideology (and) because it supports multiculturalism.”
Breivik was cut off from speaking on several occasions by the judge, who asked him to stick to the subject at hand.
The courtroom was packed with more than 500 people, including family members of those that were killed in Breivik’s massacre on Uyota Island in July.
Breivik confessed to carrying out the bombing and shooting massacre that killed 77 people and shocked the world last July.
The 32-year-old extremist pled not guilty on the grounds that he believed the attacks were necessary to save Norway and Europe from Islamization. He has previously called the attacks “gruesome but necessary.”
Breivik faces up to 21 years in prison if convicted under the charges of terrorism but perhaps could stay behind bars indefinitely if deemed a threat to the public.
Breivik has been held in solitary confinement since his surrender to police on July 22 on the small Norwegian vacation island of Utoya.
