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Norway suspect's hearing is closed

Relatives of a victim grieve on a campsite jetty on the Norwegian mainland, across the water from Utoya Island in the background, where people have been placing tributes in memory of those killed in a shooting massacre there.
2 terror attacks leave 93 dead

OSLO, Norway — A judge denied Anders Behring Breivik the public stage he wanted to air his anti-Muslim rants and call for revolution on today, ruling that the first hearing for the man who has confessed to Norway's twin terror attacks be held behind closed doors.

Breivik had prepared a speech for his day in court even before launching the attacks that left 93 people dead and Norwegians reeling at the devastation. He had requested an open hearing in which he would wear a uniform, making clear in an Internet manifesto that he planned to turn his court appearance into theater.

He staged the bombing and youth camp rampage as “marketing” for his manifesto calling for a revolution that would rid Europe of Muslims, he said.

Reporters and locals thronged the courthouse today ahead of the hearing for their first glimpse of Breivik since the assault.

The hearing ended after about 35 minutes. A guard at the courthouse told reporters, “everyone has left.”

Peaceful, liberal Norway has been stunned by the bombing in downtown Oslo and the shooting massacre at a youth camp outside the capital, which the suspect said were intended to start a revolution to inspire Norwegians to retake their country from Muslims and other immigrants. He blames liberals for championing multiculturalism over Norway's “indigenous” culture.

“Based on information in the case the court finds that today's detention hearing should be held behind closed doors,” Judge Kim Heger said in a statement.“It is clear that there is concrete information that a public hearing with the suspect present could quickly lead to an extraordinary and very difficult situation in terms of the investigation and security.”The court acknowledged that there was a need for transparency in the case and that it normally would consider arguments from the press when making decisions to close hearings but said that wasn't possible “for practical reasons.”It's unusual that the hearing was closed even before it began. Normally, a judge would make such a decision in open court.Typically, the accused is brought to court every four weeks while prosecutors prepare their case, so a judge can approve his continued detention.Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg led the mourning nation in a minute of silence today, standing on the steps of an Oslo university next to a flame.

Breivik

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