Court Sides With Mass Killer Breivik on Prison Conditions

The man who massacred 77 people in Norway in 2011 has a won a court fight over what he calls unjust treatment in prison. A court in Oslo agreed with Anders Breivik that some of his imprisonment qualifies as "degrading," calling attention in particular to his solitary confinement for about five years, reports the BBC. "The prohibition of inhuman and degrading treatment represents a fundamental value in a democratic society," said judge Helen Andenaes Sekulic, per the Guardian. "This applies no matter what—also in the treatment of terrorists and killers."

The court also ordered Norway to cover Breivik's $40,000 legal costs in the case, which was not a complete victory for him. The judge rejected his claim that the government had violated his right to a "private and family life." Breivik is serving a 21-year sentence for the methodical murders, though the penalty could be extended if he is deemed dangerous near the time of his scheduled release. (In March, he greeted the judge with a Nazi salute.)