Breivik Pleads Not Guilty, Ordered Held

The man who has confessed to carrying out a bombing and shooting spree that left 93 people dead in Norway will be held for at least eight weeks, half of that in complete isolation, after a closed hearing in which he said his terror network had two other cells. Anders Behring Breivik pleaded not guilty, saying he wanted to save Norway and Europe from a Muslim takeover and send a strong signal, but was not trying to kill as many as possible, according to a judge. He will be held without access to visitors, mail, or media.

Breivik staged the twin attacks as "marketing" for his Internet manifesto. In it, he said he planned to turn his court appearance into theater, preparing a speech for his appearance in court even before launching the attacks and then requesting an open hearing in which he would wear a uniform. Both of those requests were denied. It's unusual that the hearing was closed even before it began, but while the court acknowledged that there was a need for transparency in the case, it noted an open hearing wasn't possible "for practical reasons." (More Anders Behring Breivik stories.)