Erstellt am: 30. 4. 2012 - 15:51 Uhr

Is the Breivik trial backfiring?

Reality Check: Breivik trial update, former Libyan oil minister found dead in Danube, Nigeria attacks, Bahrain protester, Youth and the EU

Muslims in Norway are expressing concern at the amount of attention that is being given to the sanity, or not, of Anders Breivik. They say that the emphasis on Breivik's state of mind is overshadowing the crucial issue of the criminal nature of his ideology and message. Breivik has made it clear that his vision is one of driving Muslims out of Europe, and that, according to the Islamic community, should be the focus of the trial.

The issue of Breivik's sanity will determine his sentence - whether he will be imprisoned or hospitalized. That, however, is academic, according to Muslim leaders, who point to the fact that no one was questioning, or attaching any importance to, the sanity or insanity of Osama Bin Laden.

This is an interesting point, and highlights a peculiarity of the Breivik case. While psychiatrists might argue about the exact definition of "sanity", there is certainly a broad swathe of public opinion that says that anyone capable of such acts of terrorism is, at least in the common understanding of the word, "insane".

So far, there seems to be little substance to the claims that Breivik was connected to organized far right groups. The court, at least, appears unconvinced that any such contacts amounted to anything and is of the opinion that these claims were largely fabricated.

The trial is also coming under criticism for effectively giving Breivik a platform to publicise his ideas. There may be some justification for this allegation, too. While focusing on Breivik's state of mind rather than his crimes, his thinking rather than his actions become the centre of attention.

Despite dealing with one of the most shocking and notorious crimes of recent years, there seems to be a real risk that the process of bringing Breivik to justice could backfire.

Ketil Stensrud reports on the trial so far and how it is going down with the Norwegian people.

Former Libyan Oil Minister found dead in the Danube

Shukri Ghanem, who defected from Libya during the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi last year, has been found dead in the Danube.

Police say there is no evidence of suicide or foul play, but it will be a few weeks until toxicology reports clarify what the exact cause of death was.

Shashank Joshi looks at who Ghanemwas, and his role in the Libyan government.

Bahraini activist speaks about her experiences

A student in Bahrain, who took part in last year's protests and ended up being tortured in prison, talks about her beliefs and why her protests will continue.

Deadly attacks on Nigerian university

At least 20 people died and several were injured in a gun and bomb attack on a university in Kano, northern Nigeria. The attack was in a lecture theatre that was being used for a Christian service. Sola Tayo looks at the significance of these attacks in relation to attacks on Christians in other parts of the country by Boku Haram.

Youth and the EU

Despite, or perhaps because of, budget cuts and labour reforms, Europe is suffering from high unemployment. As usual, it is young people who are particularly badly affected. Chris Cummins has been talking to the SPÖ's MEP, Evelyn Regner, to find out how she thinks the EU can help youth unemployment in the member states.

FM4 Reality Check

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