Anders Behring Breivik Can’t Attend Mom’s Funeral

Anders Behring Breivik wants to attend his mother’s funeral. However, Norwegian prison authorities have rejected his request.

Breivik’s mother died last week after a longtime illness, according to his lawyer. Breivik is being held under strict prison conditions, which were extended when they came up for review on Tuesday.

The Norwegian man is currently serving a 21-year jail sentence for killing 77 people in twin attacks in July 2011. The 34-year-old launched the attack on Norway’s Labour Party, including on a youth camp, as a way of protesting allowing Muslims into the country.

Breivik and his mother, Wenche Behring Breivik, met earlier this month at Ila Prison, where the mass murderer is being held. Lawyer Tord Jordet added that Breivik’s mother was 66. Jordet added of their final meeting:

“He was allowed to say goodbye. They both knew it would be the final meeting. I spoke to him this morning. He was grieving. It was very sad news to him. ”

Despite wanting to attend her funeral, Anders Behring Breivik understood that it was up to the prison board to decide whether he would be allowed to go or not.

Breivik, a right-wing fanatic was responsible for Norway’s worst peacetime massacre. He began the day on July 22, 2011 by detonating a car bomb outside government offices in Oslo, killing eight people. He then made his way to the island of Utoya, where he killed 69 people, mostly youth, at a summer camp.

Norway has no death penalty, and Anders Behring Breivik received the maximum sentence for his crimes. Five years before embarking on the massacre, Breivik moved in with his mother and ended all contacts with friends. His mother was not able to attend his 10-week-long trial, because of health reasons.

Breivik and his mother were able to speak on the phone as a special exception for the convicted murderer, because his mother was not physically able to visit her son in prison. Jordet added that Breivik and his mother had a good relationship, despite having “completely opposite ideological views.”

While Breivik has denied criminal guilt for his crimes, he has admitted to being a commander of a resistance movement aimed at overthrowing European governments.

Do you think Anders Behring Breivik should be allowed to attend his mother’s funeral?