Pretoria – After last week’s bomb attack and shooting in Oslo, the Norwegian government has opened a book of condolences at its Pretoria offices.
“Following Friday’s horrific and tragic attacks on the government offices in Oslo and on the youth summer camp at Utoya, the Norwegian Embassy would like to thank the many individuals, organisations and government representatives that have already sent messages of condolences and sympathy to the Embassy, Norway and its people,” said the Norwegian Embassy on Monday.
There was a bomb blast in front of the Norwegian prime minister’s office and a shooting incident in nearby Utoya island.
“The Norwegian Government is making every effort to communicate this wave of sympathy to the relatives as an expression of international solidarity at this very trying time,” said the embassy in a statement.
The book is open for signing at the embassy’s offices at Ozmik House, North Wing, 165 Lynnwood Road in Brooklyn from 10am to 3pm. It will be open until Friday.
Meanwhile, Anders Behring Breivik, the 32-year-old Norwegian who has admitted responsibility for both incidents, appeared in Oslo Tinhaus, the district court, on Monday where his custody was extended for an additional eight weeks.
The ruling was announced by Judge Kim Heger in a press conference immediately following the afternoon hearing, which was not open to media due to security concerns.
Earlier, reports said the twin attacks may have claimed over 93 lives, but on Monday Oslo police downgraded the death toll to 76 people, due to the renewed counting of death numbers in the Utoya shooting incident.
The hearing only lasted for less than an hour and no media access was allowed to the court room throughout the process, though the case has attracted spotlights from all across the world.
The ruling said that Breivik would be held in custody until otherwise decided by the persecution of the court, but his custody should not go beyond 26 September 2011.
Further investigation will be carried out during the extended period, and “such investigation must be conducted without the accused having the opportunity to influence or disturb it,” the ruling added.
Accordingly, a ban was issued on the suspect, prohibiting him from letters, visits, and access to media throughout the custody period as well as complete isolation until 22 August 2011.
Breivik was not given the chance to speak to media after the hearing.
The judge said the accused had acknowledged the actual deeds of committing both of the attacks, but he had not pleaded guilty, reasoning that he needed to carry out these acts in order to save Norway and western Europe.
Motive of the attacks was cited by the judge as “to give sharp signal to people.”
“The accused intended to induce the greatest possible loss to the Labor Party so it in the future will limit recruitment,” he said.
The suspect was also quoted as saying that as long as the Labor Party keeps driving its ideological line and keeps deconstructing Norwegian culture, they must assume this “responsibility of treason.”
If convicted, Breivik faces a maximum of 21 years sentence under the Norwegian law.
According to his social media profiles and online manifesto he posted on Friday hours before the attack, Breivik holds extreme right-wing and anti-Muslim views and is a conservative Christian. – BuaNews
