Police around Europe are on increased alert against far-right extremism as the man accused of killing 93 people in Norway’s bomb and shooting attack prepares to face charges today.
Anders Behring Breivik, a 32-year-old Norwegian, has admitted bombing government buildings in central Oslo on Friday before shooting dead scores of young people at a Labour party summer camp on an island outside the capital. Under Norwegian law, he faces a maximum of 21 years in prison if found guilty of what Jens Stoltenberg, prime minister, called Norway’s “national tragedy”.
His lawyer said Mr Breivik had told him the attacks were “atrocious, but necessary” as a 1,500-page online manifesto emerged in which the alleged killer detailed his preparations and anti-Islamic motivations for the attacks.