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Defence lawyer argues Norway killer Breivik is sane | Defence lawyer argues Norway killer Breivik is sane |
(40 minutes later) | |
Anders Behring Breivik's defence have told his trial in Norway he should be considered sane and acquitted or given the mildest possible sentence. | |
Breivik's main lawyer, Geir Lippestad, said his client had been driven by extreme politics, not violence. | Breivik's main lawyer, Geir Lippestad, said his client had been driven by extreme politics, not violence. |
The prosecution has called for him to be considered insane. | The prosecution has called for him to be considered insane. |
Breivik, who admits he killed 77 people and injured 242 on 22 July, is due to address the court himself on the last scheduled day of the trial. | Breivik, who admits he killed 77 people and injured 242 on 22 July, is due to address the court himself on the last scheduled day of the trial. |
Explaining earlier the request for acquittal, another defence lawyer, Vibeke Hein Baera, told AFP news agency Breivik knew this request was "just a formality that is far from any plausibility". | |
Mr Lippestad insisted his client was of "sound mind" and should not be placed in psychiatric care. | Mr Lippestad insisted his client was of "sound mind" and should not be placed in psychiatric care. |
Several people injured or bereaved by Breivik are also due to address the court on Friday. | |
A support group for his victims is reported to be planning to walk out of the courtroom when Breivik speaks. | A support group for his victims is reported to be planning to walk out of the courtroom when Breivik speaks. |
Breivik bombed government buildings in Oslo before shooting young Labour Party supporters at a camp on the island of Utoeya. | Breivik bombed government buildings in Oslo before shooting young Labour Party supporters at a camp on the island of Utoeya. |
He sought to justify his attacks by saying they were necessary to stop the "Islamisation" of Norway, an argument outlined by his defence on Friday. | He sought to justify his attacks by saying they were necessary to stop the "Islamisation" of Norway, an argument outlined by his defence on Friday. |
Memorials to Breivik's victims will be built at the two attack sites, the government announced on Friday. | Memorials to Breivik's victims will be built at the two attack sites, the government announced on Friday. |
'Almost impossible' | 'Almost impossible' |
It was, Mr Lippestad stressed, for the court to decide whether his client had been sane at the time of the attacks. | It was, Mr Lippestad stressed, for the court to decide whether his client had been sane at the time of the attacks. |
"The mother of these actions is not violence, it is an extreme, radical, political attitude, and his actions must be perceived from the point of view of right-wing extremist culture," he said. | "The mother of these actions is not violence, it is an extreme, radical, political attitude, and his actions must be perceived from the point of view of right-wing extremist culture," he said. |
The fact that "safe, little Norway would be hit by such a terror attack is almost impossible to understand", the lawyer said. | The fact that "safe, little Norway would be hit by such a terror attack is almost impossible to understand", the lawyer said. |
This, he suggested, could explain in part why psychiatric experts had reached different conclusions about Breivik's mental state. | This, he suggested, could explain in part why psychiatric experts had reached different conclusions about Breivik's mental state. |
He described his client as an ordinary young man with good friends and colleagues. How, he asked, would a man who was mentally ill have been allowed to join a shooting club? | He described his client as an ordinary young man with good friends and colleagues. How, he asked, would a man who was mentally ill have been allowed to join a shooting club? |
Nothing in Breivik's life up until the "inferno of violence" on 22 July had indicated he was a violent person, the lawyer argued. | Nothing in Breivik's life up until the "inferno of violence" on 22 July had indicated he was a violent person, the lawyer argued. |
Had violence, not politics, been his main driving force, he could have gone to an Oslo shopping mall, Mr Lippestad said. | Had violence, not politics, been his main driving force, he could have gone to an Oslo shopping mall, Mr Lippestad said. |
Survivors listen | Survivors listen |
The prosecution took the stand again on Friday in response to Mr Lippestad, saying they were not convinced Breivik was psychotic. | |
However, there was enough doubt for the prosecution to ask for Breivik to be found unaccountable for his actions, they said. | |
On Thursday, in their closing arguments, the prosecution called for the killer to be placed in "compulsory psychiatric care", and not sent to prison. | |
It was worse, they argued, to sentence a psychotic person to prison than to place a non-psychotic person in psychiatric care. | |
As the lawyer spoke, Breivik sat calmly, occasionally sipping water. | As the lawyer spoke, Breivik sat calmly, occasionally sipping water. |
Directly behind him sat several of those he had tried to kill on Utoeya while others were elsewhere in the courtroom, the BBC's Lars Bevanger reports from the trial. | Directly behind him sat several of those he had tried to kill on Utoeya while others were elsewhere in the courtroom, the BBC's Lars Bevanger reports from the trial. |
Trond Blattmann, leader of the 22 July Support Group, told Reuters news agency: "For me the most important thing is that he [Breivik] is not going to be in Norwegian society anymore." | Trond Blattmann, leader of the 22 July Support Group, told Reuters news agency: "For me the most important thing is that he [Breivik] is not going to be in Norwegian society anymore." |