Downtown Oslo, shortly after Anders Behring Breivik's car bomb detonated on 22 July 2011. Photo from Wikimedia Commons
A lay judge presiding over the trial of accused mass killer Anders Behring Breivik in Norway has been dismissed today for having posted “the death penalty is the only just outcome of this case” on a Facebook page.
Breivik (33) has admitted killing eight people by detonating a bomb in Oslo and a further 69 people during a shooting spree on nearby Utoya island on 22 July 2011.
A day after the bombing and shootings, Thomas Indreboe wrote on the Verdens Gang newspaper’s Facebook page, “The death penalty is the only just outcome in this case!!!!”
Breivik’s trial began on Monday in Oslo, with two professional judges and three lay judges, including Indreboe, chosen from civil society, presiding over the court, Reuters reported.
Indreboe‘s dismissal is not expected to result in a mistrial.
Breivik has pleaded not guilty, saying he acted in defence of Norway against multi-culturalism.
Breivik faces up to 21 years in prison is he is found guilty and sane. He could be held indefinitely, however, if he is deemed to be a continuing danger. If he is declared insane, he would be held in a psychiatric institution indefinitely with periodic reviews, Reuters reported.
