Anders Breivik: Why Norway's mass killer is letting his inner Nazi show

The way Breivik addresses the media at current legal proceedings has subtly changed since his trial

(Getty Images)

As the mass murderer Anders Breivik arrived in court on Tuesday as part of a bid to challenge his prison conditions, he paused before the media to issue a Nazi salute – a act which offers a telling insight into the ongoing legal dispute.

The Norwegian massacred 77 people in bomb and gun attacks on 22 July 2011 at a left-wing youth summer camp.

During the criminal trial which led to his conviction, Breivik displayed a clenched-fist salute and, giving evidence, described himself as a modern-day right wing crusader fighting to protect Norway and Europe from Muslim immigration.

In his four years in prison, Breivik has received a strea, of fan mail from neo-Nazis and fascist groups around the world.

Breivik appears in court in April 2012 (Getty)

His right to answer these messages is one of the core issues behind his current legal dispute, in which his lawyers are trying to convince a judge that his prison conditions are "inhuman" and violate the European Convention on Human Rights.

Breivik is allowed some mail correspondence, but it is strictly controlled and he's not allowed to communicate with other right-wing extremists.

But that has not stopped him writing letters to the media, declaring he has abandoned his armed struggle and now wants to create a new Norwegian fascist movement while he serves his sentence – as exemplified by his new salute.

The government said on Tuesday that restrictions to Breivik’s correspondence are well within the European Convention of Human Rights and are needed to make sure the killer isn't able to build militant extremist networks from within prison.

“The plaintiff has not shown any sign of remorse,” government attorney Marius Emberland said in his opening remarks. “Breivik is a very dangerous man.”

Breivik is also disputing his isolation within the prison, which he says amounts to “torture”. He is the only inmate in a high-security wing of Skien prison, 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Oslo.

The Norwegian authorities, known for their humanitarian approach to criminal justice, say Breivik has three cells at his disposal, access to an exercise yard and has been offered the opportunity to interact with other people through activities such as playing chess with prison staff.

“He is a citizen of Norway and even though he is convicted for a horrible crime, he hasn't lost his human rights,” said Ina Stromstad, a judge serving as a spokeswoman for the Olso district court.

Breivik is to address the court on Wednesday. Both sides will call witnesses to testify before closing arguments on Friday. The judgment is expected about a month later.

Additional reporting by agencies