Summary: A court said today that the man behind the 2011 Norway attacks had his human rights violated in prison.
International terrorist Anders Behring Breivik complained that he was mistreated in prison, and today, a court agreed. According to The Guardian, an Oslo district court ruled that Breivik’s human rights had been violated.
The court said in a written statement that prison conditions for the deplorable rightwing extremist breached an article in the European convention that prohibited inhumane and degrading treatment. The court specifically cited the terrorist’s isolation since his arrest in July 22, 2011 and how his mental health and loneliness was ignored by prison officials.
Breivik sued the government for violating his human rights. He said he was mistreated by being isolated from other prisoners, frequently strip searched, and being handcuffed when moved between his three cells, where RT reported he had his own Playstation. He also complained about the quality of the food and having to eat with plastic utensils.
After a four day hearing, the court ruled in Breivik’s favor and ordered the government to pay for Breivik’s legal costs.
Previously, the government had rejected his complaints, stating he was treated fairly; but the court disagreed.
“The prohibition of inhuman and degrading treatment represents a fundamental value in a democratic society. This applies no matter what also in the treatment of terrorists and killers,” the court said .
After being convicted in 2012, Breivik is now serving a 21-year sentence, and The Guardian reports it can be extended if he is deemed to still be dangerous. In 2011, he killed 77 people during a devastating Norwegian attack. Eight were killed in a van bombing outside a government building in Oslo, and the rest were murdered when he rampaged a Labour youth camp. He had methodically stalked and killed his mostly teenage victims for more than an hour.
According to The Jerusalem Post, Breivik released a manifesto on the day of the massacre, expressing anti-Muslim and anti-feminism views. After his arrest, he shocked people by giving Nazi salutes in court and seemingly to never express any remorse.
It is reported that the government may appeal today’s decision.
Source: The Guardian