10 Mar 2012

Norway to ban key parts of Breivik trial

7:53 am on 10 March 2012

Norway is to ban television cameras from key parts of the trial of mass killer Anders Behring Breivik, including statements by him and witnesses.

Opening and closing remarks by the prosecution and defence lawyers will be televised, Oslo District Court said.

Norway's national broadcaster NRK has the contract to televise the trial, which is expected to open on 16 April this year, the BBC reports.

Breivik, 33, admitted killing 77 people in twin attacks on 22 July last year. He set off a bomb in Oslo before before travelling to the island of Utoeya where he shot young people at a Labour Party summer camp.

On Wednesday, Breivik, whose attacks also left 242 people injured, was charged with committing acts of terror.

The Oslo court said the verdict at the end of the trial would be broadcast.

More than 1000 journalists are accredited to cover the trial and the court is being rebuilt to handle the amount of international media.

Prosecutors have indicated they consider Breivik mentally ill and will seek to have him committed to psychiatric care rather than jailed.

There are more than 1000 aggrieved parties, many of whom will go to local courts to watch the parts of the trial that can be televised.

NRK's full recording of the trial will be kept in Norway's national archives and the Oslo court says it recommends that it not be released or published for 25 years.

The court has not yet decided whether to allow broadcasting of the statements of professional witnesses such as police investigators or psychiatrists.