Anders Behring Breivik, the extremist who killed 77 people, lost a trial accusing Norway of inhumane treatment

Anders Behring Breivik has lost a lawsuit against the Norwegian state seeking to end his imprisonment on the grounds that the move is a violation of human rights.

The far-right fanatic who killed 77 people, mostly teenagers, in a bomb attack followed by a shooting in 2011 sued the state in January, unhappy with the conditions under which he is incarcerated.

During the trial, Breivik confessed that he was sorry for what he had done and burst into tears. He claimed that his life in solitary confinement in prison is a nightmare that causes him suicidal thoughts daily.

Despite Breivik’s claims at trial, the evaluation of a psychologist who examined him for trial concluded that he was neither depressed nor suicidal and was doing “very well.”

“In summary, the court came to the conclusion that detention conditions cannot be said to be or have been disproportionately burdensome,” said the Oslo District Court, which ruled Thursday that Norway had not violated human rights in the Breivik case.

A lawyer representing the government praised Breivik’s handling of Breivik’s situation.

“This shows that the prison service is doing a thorough, professionally sound and legally correct job when considering the conditions Breivik should have,” government lawyer Andreas Hjetland said in a statement.

Breivik will appeal against the decision, his lawyer Oeistein Storrvik said, adding that the two had already spoken about the outcome.

“He is disappointed with the verdict. He has been in solitary confinement for 12 years and the relaxation of his conditions is vital to his well-being in prison,” Storrvik told Reuters.

Breivik is serving a sentence of 21 years, the maximum sentence prescribed by law at the time of his crimes, which can be extended as long as he is considered a threat to society.

In 2011, Breivik killed eight people with a car bomb in Oslo, then shot 69 others, mostly teenagers, at a Labour Party youth camp in Norway’s worst peacetime atrocity.