Good morning. Welcome to live coverage of the first day of the trial of Anders Behring Breivik, who has admitted killing 77 people in a bomb-and-shooting massacre in Norway last summer.

Breivik has rejected the authority of the court at the opening of the trial.

Dressed in a dark suit, he smiled as a guard removed his handcuffs in the crowded courtroom. The 33-year-old then flashed a closed-fist salute, before shaking hands with prosecutors and court officials.

His first words were:

I don't recognise Norwegian courts because you get your mandate from the Norwegian political parties who support multiculturalism.

Breivik also said he doesn't recognise the authority of Judge Wenche Elisabeth Arntzen, because he said she is friends with the sister of former Norwegian prime minister and Labour party leader Gro Harlem Brundtland.

He has pleaded not guilty, telling the court:

I acknowledge the acts but I do not plead guilty and I claim that I was doing it in self defence. [See footnote.]

He faces a maximum sentence of 21 years in prison but could be held indefinitely if he is considered a continuing danger.

The names of the 77 people and the details of how they were killed were read out in court this morning.

My colleague, Helen Pidd, who in the courtroom, is tweeting from the trial and provided an example from the indictment.

An example from the indictment: the youngest victim: Sharidyn Meegan Ngahiwi Svebakk-Bohn, born 17 July 1997... — Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) April 16, 2012

"She was in the area by the escarpment below Lovers' Path and was shot twice with the pistol and/or rifle. One of the shots penetrated... — Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) April 16, 2012

"...inter alia the left lung, the main stem of the pumonary artery and the aorta. The other shot crushed the 11th chest vertebra and liver.. — Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) April 16, 2012

"...leaving through the right flank. Svebbakk-Bohn died of the gunshot injuries to the chest cuasing internal and external blood loss." — Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) April 16, 2012

The court has resumed after a short break. Before the prosecutor began, the judge warned that there would be "very strong images" of the events of 22 July 2011.

The judge said these images would not be broadcast on television (the trial is being televised) and so said the prosecutor should give plenty of notice before the video is to be screened

The prosecutor said that the Knights Templar anti-Islam network that Breivik claimed to have joined "does not exist" as he describes it.

The prosecutor proceeds with a "timeline" of Breivik's life, starting with his birth in 1979, running briefly through his schooling and going on to three companies he set up.

"Several important incidents" take place in Breivik's life in 2003, including making "significant" money selling fake degree and diploma certificates, dropping out of the job he had for six years and going to live on an appartment on his own, says the prosecutor.

The prosecutor is talking about Breivok's playing of World of Warcraft.

He is said to have played the game "full-time" between the summer of 2006 and summer 2007.

The judge asked if it is a violent game and the prosecutor said he would come back to that.

As a picture is shown of one of the characters Breivik adopted in the game, the accused smiles.

The court also saw a picture of the bedroom where he played the game.

The prosecution moves on to the three-part compendium created by Breivik - the manifesto for his actions.

Breivik again smiles as a picture is shown of him in uniform (left).

The prosecutor moves onto equipment. Another picture is shown of Breivik holding a weapon, taken from his manifesto (see below).

A badge photoshopped onto the uniform, shown in close up, says "Marxist hunter England". On the uniform, it had been changed to say "Marxist hunter Norway".

It also said "Multicultur [sic] traitor hunting permit".

Breivik bought 36 items from 8 countries to make his uniforms, the court hears

Moving onto what the prosecutor calls "equipment", the prosecutor says Breivik bought 43 weapon-related items. Four of these were bought from abroad.

Pictures are shown of Breivik's farm, described by the prosecutor as "a good place to manufacture the bomb".

The bomb was manufactured as Breivik described to the police, the court hears.

Police made a bomb, according to the instructions given to Breivik, and tested it.

The court is shown an image of the bomb created by the police.

A drawing of the bomb made by Breivik for the police shows the location of the primary explosives, the secondary explosives and the booster.

In 2009, Breivik registered a company to buy fertiliser, used to manufacture the bomb, the prosecutor tells the court.

Images are shown that Breivik took of his barn and of the manufacturing area where the bomb was made.

One image shows four food blenders, another shows a cement mixer, used for crushing and mixing ingredients of the bomb.

The prosecutor is moving onto the events of 22 July last year. He says:

Breivik wakes up in his mother's flat, there's a lot of activity on the computer. From 8.15am until 10.40am he makes a variety of preparations ... to issue the compendium.

CCTV footage is shown of Breivik on his way to the main square in Oslo later. He then takes a taxi back to his mother's apartment.

When Breivik returned he loaded up the Knights Templar film, created by Breivik after downloading photos from the internet and adding music.

The film "Knights Templar 2083" lasts for 12 minutes and 22 seconds. It consists of pictures and text, says the prosecutor. It is split into four sections:

Part 1 The rise of cultural marxism

Part 2 Islamic colonisation

Part 3 Hope

Part 4 A new beginning

The film is now being shown in court.

It looked like Breivik was in tears after watching the propaganda video. His defence team seemed to be asking him if he was ok.

TV cameras did not show the propaganda video.

The court is now in recess.

While the court is on a lunch break, here's a bit of context on what Breivik did, from my colleague Helen Pidd.

In a normal year in Norway, 30 murders are committed. Breivik killed 77. Puts into context the awful scale of atrocity. — Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) April 16, 2012

Dagbladet, one of Norway's major newspapers, has set up a version of its website with a button that removes any mention of the trial.



It is an acknowledgement that there is a degree of revulsion at the level of coverage it will get and the prospect of Breivik getting a platform from which to air his ideology.

The trial has resumed.

At 1.11pm on 22 July 2011 Breivik started to "distribute his compendium to the world", the prosecutor says.

He pressed the send button on his computer at 2.09pm.

An email was sent with an attachment entitled "2083 - A European declaration of Independence".

There were 8,109 email addresses Breivik tried to send it to but it was only actually received by some 900.

Breivik told the police the email addresses were gathered over a four-month period from November 2009.

At around 3pm, Breivik was approaching the government buildings.

The prosecutor says an animated version of the explosion will be shown at first and then actual images of Breivik driving the car containing the explosives and then moving towards the other car he uses to get away.

A video will then be shown with some images of the injured. There will be a break before that video is shown so that those who do not wish to witness them can leave the courtroom.

The animated video plays and shows the journey of Brevik's car. Then a red dot illustrates the accused moving away on foot having parked the car.

Shortly afterwards, a red flash illustrates the car exploding.

The actual images are now being shown. There is a ban on broadcasting them.

The video has been shown. The prosecutor says he will now indicate where 17 people (eight who were killed and nine seriously injured) were when the bomb exploded.

Red dots on a map indicate those who died. On a new map, yellow dots indicate those who were seriously injured.

The details of all these people can be found in the indictment. From the indictment, the eight who were killed by the bomb blast were:



1. Jon Vegard Lervåg, born 17 February 1979 He was at the entrance of the H-block and close to the van and died immediately. 2. Ida Marie Hill, born 20 February 1977 She was at the entrance of the H-block and close to the van and died immediately. 3. Hanne Ekroll Løvlie, born 29 June 1981 She was outside the entrance to the H-block and died quickly. 4. Anne Lise Holter, born 16 September 1959 She was in the reception area on the ground floor of the H-block and died immediately. 5. Hanne Marie Orvik Endresen, born 21 March 1950 She was in the reception area on the ground floor of the H-block and died immediately. 6. Kjersti Berg Sand, born 10 October 1984 She was in the reception area on the ground floor of the H-block and died immediately. 7. Kai Hauge, born 31 July 1978 He was in Grubbegata next to the driveway leading to the main entrance of the H-block and died immediately. 8. Tove Åshill Knutsen, born 31 July 1954 She was in the proximity of the fountain at Einar Gerhardsens Square and died quickly.

Many others not mentioned by name in the indictment suffered heavy injuries, says the prosecutor.

He outlines Breivik's journey to Utøya and shows a picture of the van the accused drove there.

A blue Ikea bag in the car contained "Spanish riders", which could be used to deflate the tyres of following cars, the prosecutor explains. A shotgun is also pictured in the van.

Breivik called the AUF, the Labour youth, saying he was a police officer and that he had to be transferred to Utøya island so a boat was sent to collect him.

The island is approximately 500m long and 330m wide, says the prosecutor.

The prosecutor says he will now go into Breivik's actions on Utøya in greater detail.

Some of the information comes from text messages, he says.

Breivik's two calls to the police will be heard.

The prosecutor says that at 5.21pm the first shots are fired, killing three people - Trond Berntsen Monica Elisabeth Bøsei, and Rune Havdal.

At 5.23pm Breivik killed another three people - Hanne Anette Balch Fjalestad, Snorre Haller and Rolf Christopher Johansen Perreau.

At 5.25pm he killed another two people south of the cafe - Lejla Selaci and Steinar Jessen - and another two people were later found mortally wounded - Birgitte Smetbak and Gunnar Linaker.

He then shot another seven people, all in the tent camp, numbers 70 to 76 on the indictment.

At approximately 5.30pm he entered the cafe.

People tried to escape but it was an island, says the prosecutor. Many people tried to hide by the water.



There is now a brief pause while an audio recording is played, which cannot be broadcast.

There were many people trying to seek refuge in the cafe. Breivik's acts resulted in many of them or all of them trying to escape from the cafe.

Six people were killed in the little hall :

Margrethe Bøyum Kløven

Silje Merete Fjellbu

Guro Vartdal Håvoll

Ronja Søttar Johansen

Mona Abdinur

Sondre Kjøren

Bendik Rosnæs Ellingsen

Others were shot but survived.

Moving into the big hall, Breivik shot dead six people.

Eivind Hovden

Lene Maria Bergum

Elisabeth Trønnes Lie

Henrik André Pedersen

Ida Beathe Rogne

Aleksander Aas Eriksen

The prosecutor continues Breivik's journey, in each case reading out the names and numbers of the victims on the indictment

At 6pm Brevik speaks to the police the first time, says the prosecutor

My name is Anders Behring Breivik from the Norwegian anti-communist movement. I am on Utoya and I wish to surrender.

At 4.24pm he speaks to the police for the second time.

My name Anders Behring Breivik. I am a commander of the Norweigain resistance movement. Please could you give me the head of Delta...Yes, I am at Utoya, I am a person who wishes to surrender. Knights Templar ...is the name of the organisation but we are part of the anti-communist movement ...I have just carried out an operation on behalf of Knights Templar Europe and Norway

In the call, he claimed that he was combatting Islamic colonisation. Breivik said he wanted to surrender as he had completed his mission.

Breivik was arrested at approximately 6.34pm on 22 July 2011. A picture is shown of him shortly after his arrest.

The court is now taking a break.

The trial has resumed.

Breivik has had 31 police interviews, spanning 223 hours and 47 minutes with more than a thousand pages of notes taken, says the prosecutor.

The prosecutor is currently running through the list of witnesses from the trial.

You can read my colleague Helen Pidd's account of this morning's proceedings here.

Here is a Guardian video containing footage from the day's proceedings so far. It also contains an interview with Christin Bjelland, the mother of a survivor of the Utøya massacre and vice chair of the 22 July support group, in which she expresses her hope that the trial will be dignified for the victims and their families.

The prosecutor has just concluded outlining how the prosecution case will proceed.

The defence lawyer Geir Lippestad is now presenting his opening statement, which he says will take about 20 minutes.

The defendant "does not dispute the facts but he does not plead guilty".

He will elaborate on his claim of "legitimate self-defecne" says Breivik's lawyer.

Breivik has a "basic right" to give a statement under Norwegian law, "perhaps a human right".

Lippestad says he is concious of the concerns surrounding Breivik using the trial as a platform for his views but says the defendant's statement is "perhaps the most important piece of evidence" in the trial and will help establish whether Breivik is sane.

Breveik wants to use a "supporting document" as part of his opening statement which will take approximately 30 minutes to read out loud, says Lippestad.

"It is difficult to understand Breveik's perception of the world," says defence lawyer Lippestad, explaining that experts will help explain his views.

He is listing the witnesses that the defence will call and why they are being called.

Breivik's lawyer complains that an "excessive amount of material has been received late".

Lippestad says he wants to reserve the right to call for a postponement when the defence has been through these documents.

Court is adjourned for today after a brief statement by the counsel for the aggrieved parties.

It will resume tomorrow with the defendant's statement, says judge Wenche Elisabeth Arntzen.

I will post a summary of today's developments shortly.

Here's a recap of what happened in court today.

• Anders Behring Breivik pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, including killing 77 people, pleading self-defence on the first day of his trial. He said:

I acknowledge the acts but I do not plead guilty and I claim that I was doing it in self defence. [See footnote.]

• Breivik rejected the authority of the court "because you get your mandate from the Norwegian political parties who support multiculturalism". He also said he doesn't recognize the authority of Judge Wenche Elisabeth Arntzen, because he said she is friends with the sister of former Norwegian prime minister and Labour party leader Gro Harlem Brundtland. He made a far-right salute as he entered the court this morning.

• The names of the 77 people Breveik killed were read out at the outset of the trial. Prosecutor Svein Holden later outlined where and at what time each of the accused's victims were killed.

• The prosecution said that the Knights Templar network that Breivik claims to be part of "does not exist".

• Breivik wiped away tears as he watched a trailer for a propaganda film he had made to justify the one-man war which reached its awful conclusion on 22 July. He was subsequently comforted by his lawyers. According to a lip-reader for the Norwegian broadcaster TV2, Breivik is to have said that watching the film made him "emotional". However, he was mostly impassive, occassionally grinning, including when a photograph was displayed of a character he adopted while playing the World of Warcraft computer game.

• Breivik's defence lawyer Geir Lippestad said the accused wants to use a "supporting document" as part of his opening statement which will take approximately 30 minutes to read out loud. He acknowleged concerns about Breivik using the trial as a platform for his views but said his testimony was crucial to help establish his sanity. Lippestad said Breivik wants to be tried as criminally sane.

The prosecution is expected to give a press conference reviewing the day's events this afternoon. We hope to bring you live coverage of this when it happens.

The prosecution's press conference is starting now. People are asked to put questions to the two prosecutors.

Q: Is there a particular desire for revenge in this case?

A: No. They are trying to treat it like any ordinary proceedings.

Q: What is the reaction to Anders Behring Breivik?

A: The prosecution will not comment on his reactions.

Q: What is the response to the defence possibly asking for a postponement and why did documents arrive with the defence so late?

A: We do not believe they will request a postponement but will deal with such a request as it happens. Documents arriving late is not unusual.

Q: Why did you play the telephone call made by a distressed girl?

A: It gives important information.

The calls were not broadcasted but my colleague Helen Pidd, who was in court, observed:

"He's coming" - girl hiding in the toilet from Breivik calls police. Call being played to court. Breivik listens eyes downcast, bites lip. — Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) April 16, 2012

Norwegian TVwas not allowed to play that call. Some survivors/relatives left the courtroom before it was played. Horrific. — Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) April 16, 2012

Q There are a number of questions about Breveik's sanity.

A: The prosecution denies it has decided that he is criminally insane. It will not give a running commentary on his sanity.

Q: How does the prosecution feel on the defence lawyer's request for Breivik to read aloud from a document for approximately 30 minutes.

A: We have no strong feelings on it.

Q: What's it like to work with an indictment containing such atrocities.

A: It's demanding but we are trained to undertake this role. You wouldn't believe us if it didn't affect us but we have professional responsibility. We are struck by the large number of people affected.

There is now a Q&A with the defence.

Q: What was said between the defence lawyers and the defendant after he cried?

A: The defence will not reveal that.

Q: What was behind Breivik's rejection of the competency of the court? Could it be presented as a formal objection?

A: It is not a formal objection, it is a "point of information" he wanted to make.

His point of departure is that he is at war and in his opinion it would be more appropriate to be before a military tribunal.

Q: Are there any restrictions placed on your client as to what he can say?

A: The defence will not divulge any discussions. Breveik will say things that will be hard for some people to hear.

Q: When he smiles does that mean he is content with what he has achieved?

A: We are not the right people to judge his demeanour.

Q: What does the 30-page document contain (that Breveik wants to read out in court tomorrow)?

A: It is a brief summary of what he wants to communicate in his case but we cannot go into further details.

Q: What is the aim of Breveik pleading that he is criminally sane? Is he aware of the different punishments?

He is fully aware of the difference. He initially said he was not concerned about whether he was judged sane or insane but since the pyschiatrist's reports and the debate surrounding his sanity he said that he wishes to be judged criminally sane.

Q: What is your aim in this trial?

A: It is two-fold. One is to present evidence that he is criminally sane and the other that his "legal safety" is preserved. We have considered his wish to be considered criminally sane as a "rational wish".

Q: Is he pleased and satisfied with today's proceedings?

A: He was pleased when a new statement was issued concluding that he was sane so that there were two reports with opposite conclusions. He was pleased that he would be given the chance to testify, that he would be heard.

The counsels for the aggrieved parties are now taking questions.

Q: Why do they want Breivik to be considered sane if that's what he wants?

A: There are different, quite personal views, from different opinions. It's not normal that we share the views with him.



He wants to go to jail. We want him to go to jail.

Some of the victims think he's insane but everyone wants it to be a just and fair decision.

Q: Is it right for him to testify in court about his political agenda? How should the media report it?

A: It is important that he explain his views and many other people share those views. It also impacts on whether he is sane or insane. We don't want his testimony to be directly broadcast because it needs to be digested after being put in context by media organisations.

The press conference is over. That brings this blog to an end. We will have coverage of day two of the trial tomorrow.

• This footnote was added on 17 April 2012. On Tuesday the court-appointed interpreters issued a correction to their translation of Breivik's not guilty plea on Monday. He said he was acting out of "necessity", rather than self defence.