[imagesource: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB / AFP via Getty Images]

Here’s a tip – when trying for parole don’t open your hearing by throwing out a Nazi salute.

Anders Breivik is the most infamous murderer in Norway’s history. His attack in 2011, using both bombs and guns, claimed the lives of 77 people, the majority of whom were teenagers.

Breivik, who legally changed his name to Fjotolf Hansen in 2017, has spent the past decade behind bars in virtual isolation, meaning he is now eligible for parole.

Norway has a maximum prison sentence of 21 years which can be extended indefinitely if the criminal is still considered a danger to society.

Following his Nazi salute, Breivik asked to be released on parole. The Guardian reports:

During an hour-long speech at the hearing… he said he had put violence behind him, offering to give up far-right politics and live abroad if he were released.

“Today, I strongly dissociate myself from violence and terror,” said Breivik. “I hereby give you my word of honour that this is behind me forever.”

If granted parole, which experts say is highly unlikely, he offered to live in the Arctic or a non-western country.

Again, I’m no legal expert but if you intend to argue that you’ve changed then a Nazi salute seems counterintuitive.

You can see that salute in the first 15 seconds of this video:

Breivik also tried to shift blame by saying that he had been brainwashed:

“It wasn’t really my fault.”

Do me a favour.

According to his lawyer, Breivik is seeking to call only one witness, Per Öberg, a Swedish neo-Nazi…

The hearing, being held in a gymnasium at Skien prison to the south-west of Oslo under the auspices of Telemark district court, is expected to last three days and is being livestreamed…

Few observers in Norway believe Breivik has any realistic prospect of being released following the hearing, instead voicing their concern he would use the occasion to broadcast his extremist views.

Given what we have seen thus far that’s an entirely warranted fear.

If (surely when) Breivik’s request for release is denied, he can apply for a new parole hearing in one year.

So we’ll go through this again next year, then.

[source:guardian]