Anders Behring Breivik, the man who massacred 77 people in Norway on July 22, has said he deserves to be set free and that he should receive a medal of honor for the brutal killings. Breivik, 32, has proudly confessed to detonating a fertilizer bomb outside of Oslo government headquarters and for gunning down people at the Labour Party youth camp. However, he has denounced the charges that say his attacks were a  criminal act and refuses to acknowledge the court’s authority.

On Monday, he walked into the Oslo courtroom for the final detention before his trial and raised his handcuffed arms in “some kind of right-wing extremist greeting”, according to his lawyer, Geir Lippestad. Breivik read to the court from his prepared statements and said that the massacre was meant to oppose the “traitors” that welcome immigrants who encourage “an Islamic colonization of Norway”. He asked the court to let him go free and told the judge that he should receive a medal of honor for the slayings.

Breivik stated, “The attacks on the government headquarters were preventative attacks on traitors to the nation, people committing, or planning to commit, cultural destruction, including destruction of Norwegian culture and the Norwegian ethnicity.” He also claimed, “The ethnic Norwegians will be a minority in Oslo in the next 10 years. It is a fact. I represent the Norwegian resistance.”

The 100 survivors and the victims’ family members who witnessed this were shocked by his statements. “It wasn’t good that he got to say what he wanted to say,” said Amel Baltic, a 16-year-old survivor of the Utoya massacre. “It made me irritated.” Some survivors of the attacks are worried that Breivik will use his trial as an excuse to further his extremist views.

Breivik identifies himself as the commander of a militant regime that’s purpose is to cause the downfall of European governments. After they have fallen, a new order will be put into place and Muslim immigrants will be deported. The police have not found any evidence of an organization bent on destroying European governments, however, and think Breivik worked alone.

The judge ruled that he must stay in custody until April 16, which is when his trial will start. He could receive up to 21 years in prison, unless he is diagnosed as mentally ill. Then, he would be sent to a psychiatric prison. The first mental evaluation deemed Breivik criminally insane and psychotic, which drew much criticism. Another evaluation was issued, but Breivik staunchly refused to work with the psychiatrists.

The defense lawyer, Lippestad, thinks Breivik’s comments highlight what is yet to come during the trial. “It’s a preparation for the trial. Much of this case is about his personality,” the lawyer stated.

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About the author

Amanda Bohannon
I currently live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.A. I am a student at Louisiana State University and am working towards two Bachelor of Arts degrees in English and French. I enjoy reading, writing, and playing video games in my spare time.

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