MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik is set to sue the country's government for his long-term isolation, his lawyer Geir Lippestad said Wednesday.
“The central part of the lawsuit is that he is still isolated, and the time has come for this to stop,” Lippestad said, adding that prolonged isolation “becomes a form of torture.”
Breivik, who killed 77 people, mostly youth campers, during two lone wolf terrorist attacks in 2011, is imprisoned at the high security section of Skien Prison in southern Norway.
“Human rights apply to him as well. And this is not about him having an easy imprisonment. He will probably always be a special prisoner with special restrictions. But he cannot be isolated forever. Now he wants to contact other inmates,” Lippestad said.
Police have previously expressed concern over what other inmates could do to Breivik if he gets the opportunity to socialize.
Norwegian Correctional Services also banned the mass murderer from sending letters, fearing he might try to create a terrorist network.
Lippestad said Breivik now spends his time preparing for the lawsuit, as well as working out, watching news and writing a book. He goes out for a walk on the prison territory approximately every fourth day.
“He could do this more often but considers it a burden, partly because he has to put handcuffs on and off,” the lawyer explained.
Breivik has been sentenced to 21 years of detention, the maximum sentence allowed by Norwegian law, though his jail time may be subsequently extended, leading to actual life imprisonment.
The mass murderer has repeatedly complained over his “torturous” detention conditions. Last year, Breivik threatened to go on a hunger strike if he did not get access to a Playstation 3, deeming the Playstation 2 console "useless."
