Anders Breivik wins human rights case

Anders Breivik’s human rights have been violated during his imprisonment for terrorism and mass murder, a court has ruled.

In a written decision, the Oslo district court said prison conditions for the rightwing extremist, who killed 77 people during an attack in July 2011, breached an article in the European convention on human rights prohibiting inhuman and degrading treatment.

The court upheld his claim that some of his treatment amounted to "inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment".

After the judgement, Breivik's lawyer, Oystein Storrvik, called for his solitary confinement to be repealed.

Breivik, a right-wing extremist, killed dozens of young centre-left political activists in an attack on the island of Utoya in July 2011.

Earlier that day, he set off a car bomb in the capital, Oslo, killing eight people.

The ruling specifically cited Breivik’s isolation in two different prisons since his arrest on 22 July 2011. It also said authorities hadn’t given enough attention to his mental health when determining his conditions in prison.

The court dismissed Breivik’s claim that the government had also violated his right to respect for private and family life. It ordered the government to pay Breivik’s legal costs of 331,000 kroner (€35,000).

“The prohibition of inhuman and degrading treatment represents a fundamental value in a democratic society,” the court said. “This applies no matter what also in the treatment of terrorists and killers.”

Breivik sued the government, saying his isolation from other prisoners, frequent strip searches and the fact that he was often handcuffed while moving between the three cells at his disposal violated his human rights. During a four-day hearing at the Skien prison where he is serving his sentence, he also complained about the quality of the prison food and about having to eat with plastic utensils.

The government rejected his complaints, saying he was treated humanely despite the severity of his crimes.

Breivik is serving a maximum 21-year sentence – which can be extended if he is still considered dangerous.