Right-wing extremists defend Breivik in court
A handful of Norwegian right-wing extremists testified today in Anders Breivik's defence, backing his ideological claims that Norway is "at war" with Islam.
The 33-year-old anti-Muslim crusader - on trial for killing 77 people in a bomb-and-shooting rampage in Oslo last July - has placed great importance on this line of argument, fearing that his ideology could be undermined if he is declared insane.
Breivik has confessed to the attacks but denies criminal guilt. He claims that he acted in self-defence because his victims betrayed their country by embracing immigration.
Defence lawyers attempted to show that while there are people who share Breivik's views, they are not declared mentally ill for doing so.
"Norway is at war," Tore Tvedt, a far-right extremist who has been convicted for anti-Semitic statements, told the court.
He said he felt victimised by Norwegian police and authorities for his political opinions.
Although many of the witnesses echoed Breivik's political views during the hearing, all of them took care to distance themselves from the violent actions for which he is on trial.
"We are a non-violent organisation," said Arne Tumyr, a long-time Islam critic and leader of the organisation Stop the Islamisation of Norway.
But he said: "Islam is an evil political ideology disguised as a religion."
Another witness, Ronny Alte, said that although he knew of no one in his immediate surroundings who supported Breivik's actions, "there could easily be around a hundred that I know about" on the internet who did.
Breivik's sanity is key to the case and is still an unresolved issue. Two psychological examinations carried out before the 10-week trial started in mid-April reached opposite conclusions on whether he was psychotic.
If found guilty and sane, he would face 21 years in prison although he can be held longer if deemed a danger to society. If declared insane, he would be committed to compulsory psychiatric care.
Although the trial is scheduled to end on June 22, the Oslo District Court announced today that a verdict is not expected until July 20, or possibly even on August 24, due to logistical reasons.
