Oslo: The man behind the Norway attacks was
denied his wish to speak English at his first court appearance
last week, police said on Wednesday, adding they had also quizzed one
of his siblings who lives in the US.
"When we were in the courthouse he wanted to speak in
English," prosecutor Christian Hatlo told a news conference in
response to a question by agency on Anders Behring Breivik's high
level of English.
Officials did not agree to Behring Breivik's request for
the July 25 hearing after which he was remanded in custody.
Behring Breivik, a rightwing extremist and self-confessed
mass killer, did not say why he wanted to speak English, Halto
said.
Behring Breivik had posted a 1,500 manifesto online
before his rampage, detailing -- in an impressive level of
English -- his hatred for Islam and democracy among other
things.
Hatlo told agency that one of Behring Breivik's
half-sisters, who lives in the United States, was interrogated
as part of the investigation.
He also said Norwegian police was investigating a number
of bloggers who had been in contact with Behring Breivik but
that "no one is suspected or wanted for the moment."
Behring Breivik has said he acted alone and it is the
investigators' priority to confirm this, Hatlo said.
The 32-year-old has said his twin attacks on July 22 --
which left 77 dead -- were a "cruel" but "necessary" part of
his "crusade" against a "Muslim invasion" of Europe.
He killed eight people with a bomb he set off in Oslo's
government quarter and later gunned down 69 people, many of
them teenagers, who were attending a retreat run by the ruling
Labour Party's youth wing on the island of Utoeya.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, August 03, 2011, 09:09