Norwegian mass-murderer sues state again over isolation

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Norwegian far-right extremist Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in 2011, is once again suing the Norway government in a bid to force an end to his isolation, Norwegian media reported Friday.

Breivik has been in solitary confinement in prison ever since his 2012 conviction and has not had contact with other inmates during his sentence, according to lawyer Øystein Storrvik.

The Aftenposten daily said a notice was sent Thursday by Storrvik to the Justice Ministry.

Earlier this year, Breivik was moved from one prison to another but Storrvik told Norwegian news agency NTB there has been no progress in terms of human contact.

“He has no contact with anyone other than prison guards,” said Storrvik, adding it it was a violation of human rights.

In January, Breivik, 43, faced a parole hearing before the three-judge Telemark District Court where he professed white supremacist views and flashed Nazi salutes on the hearing’s opening day, while claiming to have renounced violence. The court ruled Breivik must remain in prison because he is still a potential threat and there is “an obvious risk” he could return to behavior that led to the massacre.

Breivik is serving Norway’s maximum 21-year sentence for setting off a bomb in Oslo’s government district and carrying out a shooting massacre at a summer camp for left-wing youth activists. Breivik could be held longer than 21 years under a provision that allows authorities to keep criminals in prison for as long as they’re considered a menace to society.

He was declared sane at his trial, although the prosecution argued that he was psychotic. He didn’t appeal his sentence but unsuccessfully sued the government for human rights violations for denying him the right to communicate with sympathizers.

In 2016, Breivik successfully sued the Norwegian government for human rights abuses, complaining about his isolation from other prisoners, frequent strip searches and the fact that he was often handcuffed during the early part of his incarceration. He also complained about the quality of the prison food and having to eat with plastic utensils.