A far-right extremist who committed one of the worst massacres in Norway's history in 2011 is now seeking early release despite warnings that he is still a violence risk. Anders Brevik, 42, is serving a 21-year sentence for setting off a bomb in Oslo’s government district killing eight and killing an additional sixty-nine people in a shooting massacre at a summer camp for left-wing youth activists. While receiving the maximum sentence possible under Norway's Criminal Code, that same law allows for early parole after ten years though most sources express doubt that Brevik will ever be released.
Despite insisting that he has renounced violence, Brevik also flashed a Nazi salute in the courtroom and reaffirmed many of the same white supremacist views he espoused in his 2011 manifesto. He has also been a vexatious litigant during his time in prison, including suing the Norwegian government over being kept in isolation, frequent strip searches, and having to eat meals with plastic utensils. As such, critics of Norway's liberal prison policies have frequently cited him as an example of the overly lax treatment he has received in prison.
Even with Brevik's frequent outbursts during his parole hearing, authorities insist that he is treated no differently from other prisoners. “In a Nordic prison sentence, the main punishment is deprivation of liberty. All the Nordic countries have systems based on a lenient and humane criminal policy that starts from the mutual understanding that punishment should not be any stricter than necessary,” said Professor Johan Boucht from the University of Oslo Department of Public and International law in a recent media interview. “The second aspect is rehabilitation and the principle that it is better in the long run to rehabilitate the inmate than create a factory for criminals.”
Many of the people traumatized by his violence have a different take, however. “We have never had anyone in Norway who has been responsible for this level of violence before. And there has been debate here about whether part of the justice system should be changed for someone like him,” said Erik Kursetgjerde in a recent media interview. Despite the trauma of his experience, Kursetgjerde, who survived the slaughter on Utoya island as an 18-year-old, still advises a slow approach that does not bend to Breivik’s desire to subvert the system. Other victims are not so charitable and openly regards Brevik's ability to spread his extremist views during his parole hearing to be a sign of his continuing danger to society.
Still, Brevik will likely be released anytime soon and, despite his scheduled release date in 2032, perhaps never. Though 21 years is the maximum sentence in Norway, this law has since been amended to prevent people deemed to still be a threat to society from being released. While his lawyer insists that Brevik has no opportunity to show he is reformed while he is still in solitary confinement, few others seem inclined to take the chance that is no longer a risk.
Maybe a typo that needs fixing: “Still, Brevik will likely be released anytime soon”
Posted by: Stuart Watt | January 26, 2022 at 08:21 AM