Anders Behring Breivik, the far-right fanatic who killed 77 people in 2011 massacres in Norway, appeared at a parole hearing Tuesday, seemingly more focused on spreading white supremacist propaganda than gaining an improbable early release from prison, the Associated Press reports. A decade ago, Breivik was sentenced to 21 years in prison for a bombing in Oslo and an armed rampage on the island of Utøya. That term can be extended as long as the court decides Breivik is a danger to society. Under Norwegian law, Breivik, 42, is eligible to seek parole after serving the first 10 years. Breivik, sporting a stubble beard and a two-piece suit, walked into a prison gymnasium-turned-courtroom with white supremacist messages pinned to his blazer and his bag.
Breivik’s actions suggest he saw the hearing as an opportunity to disseminate his racist views, though he tried to make the case that he is no longer a threat to society. On July 22, 2011, after months of preparation, Breivik set off a car bomb outside the government's headquarters in Oslo, killing eight people and wounding dozens. He then drove to the island of Utøya, where he opened fire on the annual summer camp of the left-wing Labor Party’s youth wing. Sixty-nine people there were killed, most of them teenagers, before Breivik surrendered to police. He has been trying to start a fascist party in prison and reached out by mail to likeminded extremists in Europe and the U.S.. Prison officials seized many of those letters, fearing Breivik would inspire others to commit violent attacks.
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