– The witnesses: close to 150 people are expected to testify
* Preliminary timeline of the trial
– April 16-23: Breivik testifies
– April 24-30: Focus on the bombing of the government offices, testimony from
forensic experts and witnesses
– May 3-June 1: Focus on the shooting rampage on Utoeya island, testimony from
forensic experts and witnesses
– June 4: Focus on Breivik’s arrest
– June 4 and 5: Testimony from Breivik’s friends and family
– June 6: Details from the investigation
– June 7-15: Witnesses called by the defence and counsel for the victims
– June 18-20: Court-appointed psychiatrists present their diagnosis on
Breivik’s mental state
– June 21-22: Closing arguments
* Sentencing
If the judges find Breivik sane, he risks:
– up to 21 years in prison, the maximum under Norwegian law for “acts of
terror”
– preventive detention, which means up to 21 years in prison, with a provision
allowing for extensions until he is no longer deemed a danger to society.
If the judges find Breivik insane:
– he will be sentenced to a closed psychiatric ward, possibly for the rest of
his life. If he were to be found cured by the care he receives, he could be
released as long as he is no longer considered a threat to society. If this
condition is not fulfilled, he could be transferred to a prison under a
provision that has only been used once in Norway.
* The verdict
The verdict is expected in mid-July, though no specific date has been set yet.
A majority vote by three of the five judges is needed, and will focus on the
question of whether Breivik was criminally sane, which will determine
whether he is sentenced to prison or a closed psychiatric ward.
Source: agencies
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