THE MAN ACCUSED of carrying out the bomb attack in Oslo and mass shooting on Utoya island in Norway on Friday is to be held in isolation for four weeks.
At least 93 people were killed in the attacks.
A judge today ordered that 32-year-old Andres Behring Breivik be detained without access to letters or visitors, apart from his lawyer.
Breivik had earlier requested a public hearing to allow him the opportunity to air his views and apparently explain why he carried out the attacks. The prosecution and police objected, and the judge decided that today’s brief court appearance would be held behind closed doors, away from the public and the media.
The court said that while it acknowledges the need for transparency in the proceedings, it was not possible to have a public hearing today.
The judge ordered that Breivik be detained for a month following his isolation period. He said the investigation must be allowed to continue without the accused interfering. Today’s hearing lasted just over half an hour.
“Cells”
Meanwhile, Norwegian police are investigating Breivik’s claims he was associated with two more “cells” when planning his gun and bomb attacks.
Scotland Yard is investigating the possibility Breivik was linked to far-right extremist groups in Britain. The Telegraph reports that the police service is also trying to establish if Breivik visited London while planning the attacks.
In his manifesto, he claims to have been part of a group modelled on the Knights Templar which was founded in England in 2002 and has mentioned being in communication with the English Defence League.
Today Polish authorities confirmed that Breivik had sourced some of the components for his Oslo bomb in Poland. They said he purchased legal materials.
Ammunition
The head of surgery at Ringriket Hospital in Norway said that special bullets were used in the Utoya island attacks. Dr Colin Poole says that ‘dum-dum’-style bullets designed to disintegrate inside the body have caused “all kinds of extra problems in dealing with the wounds they cause”.
He said that surgeons operating on the victims of the Utoya shootings say that they have not recovered any full bullets.
Witnesses to the attack said that the gunman, who was dressed as a police officer, drew his victims closer by saying he needed to talk to them. They also said that he checked the fallen bodies to see if people were really dead and fired at close range.
Commemorations
Special services have been held in Norway to commemorate the 93 victims of the two attacks. Today, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg led the country in a minute’s silence:
- Additional reporting by the AP
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say