A court in Oslo ruled Friday that Anders Behring Breivik, the gunman behind last month's twin attacks in Norway, should remain in solitary confinement for another month.
Behring Breivik had argued that his treatment amounted to "sadistic torture", according to his lawyer, but Judge Hugo Abelseth told the 32-year-old that he would be kept in isolation until his next court appearance on September 19.
While the hearing was held behind closed doors, Abelseth told reporters afterwards that he had made the decision to prevent Behring Breivik from communicating with anyone in the outside world in a bid to destroy possible evidence.
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"Total isolation is a radical tool. Judging by the seriousness of the facts in question and the risk of losing evidence, the court finds it necessary to maintain complete isolation," Abelseth said.
Behring Breivik's lawyer, Geir Lippestad, said that being confined in a small cell "was difficult" for his client.
Lippestad told reporters that his client had appeared in court wearing a normal suit after a court had ruled earlier in the week against his request to be allowed to appear in a tail-coat on the grounds that it was "unnecessarily disturbing, offensive and provocative".
The appearance by Behring Breivik, his second since the July 22 attacks, came as hundreds of relatives of his victims paid an emotional visit to the island of Utoeya where most of the 77 killings took place.
As well as the 69 mainly young people who were shot dead during Behring Breivik's rampage on Utoeya, a further eight people were killed by a massive bomb that he detonated outside government offices in Oslo.
In the next hearing planned for September 19, the court will decide on extending Breivik's protective custody, which normally can only run for another eight weeks, and on prolonging the suspect's solitary confinement.
