Norwegian neo-Nazi musician to sue French police over ‘brutal’ terror arrest

Kristian 'Varg' Vikernes was arrested in July after his wife legally bought four rifles

Kristian Vikernes settled in France with his family in 2009 after spending 15 years in prison for murder (AFP)

A Norwegian heavy metal musician and far-right extremist, arrested by French police last month for allegedly preparing a mass terrorist attack, has appealed to his supporters to help fund a lawsuit against France.

“We want to sue the authorities for arresting us for no good reason whatsoever, doing so in the most brutal way possible and with children present,” Kristian “Varg” Vikernes wrote on his website, Thulean Perspective.

“We cannot afford to sue them, and we see no other solution to this than to ask for help from you,” he wrote.

The activist and his pregnant wife Marie were arrested on 16 July near Brive-la-Gaillarde in central France, on suspicion of planning a “mass terrorist act” after his wife legally bought four rifles.

It was feared he might be preparing to copy the 2011 killing spree of fellow Norwegian Anders Breivik. Vikernes has, however, criticised Breivik on his website for being a “freemason” and “Zionist”.

Police said that in addition to the rifles they found guns and boxes of ammunition in the house where the family had lived for the past two years. The couple were released two days later without being charged.

Vikernes, 40, was sentenced to 21 years in jail in 1994 for stabbing to death his former mentor, Oystein “Euronymous” Aarseth, shortly after the pair recorded an album together, and for setting fire to historic churches. He was released early in 2009 and settled in France with his family.