Aneders Behring Breivik trial: Brother of victim throws shoe at killer

An IRAQI man whose brother was killed by Anders Breivik hurled a shoe at the confessed killer and urged him to “go to hell” in a rare outburst yesterday, interupting the Norwegian’s trial in Oslo.

The incident was the first display of anger inside the normally subdued court where the far-right fanatic is being tried for the attacks that left 77 people dead.

Hayder Mustafa Qasim, 20, travelled to Norway from Baghdad this week to attend the proceedings against Breivik in Oslo’s district court, his lawyer, Kari Nessa Nordtun, said.

His brother, Karar Mustafa Qasim, a 19-year-old who had moved to Norway as an asylum-seeker, was among the victims of Breivik’s shooting rampage at a youth camp.

“I took off my shoe, got up, shouted at the killer, got eye contact with him and threw the shoe,” Mr Qasim said afterwards.

Speaking about his brother, Mr Qasim said: “He was alone in Norway, without family.

“The killer took his life. And he ruined the life for me and the family.

“I have travelled to Norway to be in court. And it has made an enormous impression on me.”

Witnesses said forensic experts were going through autopsy reports for some of the victims when Mr Qasim, who had been seated in the second row of the public area of the court, stood up and threw a shoe at a desk where Breivik and his lawyers were seated.

“He shouted: ‘You killer, go to hell.’ And repeated it several times in English,” said Mikaela Akerman, a Swedish journalist who was in court.

The shoe hit one of Breivik’s lawyers, but she was not hurt.

Breivik remained calm as he watched security guards apprehend the man and take him out of the courtroom.

“Some of the spectators clapped their hands. Some yelled: ‘Bravo.’ Many others started crying,” added Ms Akerman.

The incident was in contrast to the previously calm atmosphere in court, even as Breivik testified in graphic detail about how he set off a car bomb that killed eight people in Oslo’s government district and then hunted down teenagers at the governing Labour Party’s annual youth camp on Utoya island. More than half of the 69 people killed on Utoya were teenagers.

Police did not say how the shoe-throwing incident would affect their security procedures at the court, but as the trial resumed, three security guards were placed at the front of the gallery.

Frode Elgesem, a lawyer for the bereaved, said he didn’t consider the incident a violent attack.

“I experienced this outburst as a desperate expression of despair,” he said.