Mass murderer Anders Breivik suing Norway government again in bid to end his prison isolation

Mass murderer Anders Breivik, who slaughtered 77 people in Norway in 2011, is again suing his country's government for human rights violations in a bid to force an end to his isolation in prison.

The 43-year-old far-right extremist has been in solitary confinement in prison since his 2012 conviction, according to his lawyer Oystein Storrvik.

Norwegian daily Aftenposten reported a notice was sent on Thursday by Mr Storrvik to the Justice Ministry which states no one must be subjected to "torture" or "inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment".

The newspaper wrote that Breivik claims the long isolation and restrictions on contact with the outside world are violations of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Earlier this year, Breivik was moved from Telemark Prison in Skien to Ringerike Prison, but Mr Storrvik said there has been no progress in terms of human contact.

"He has no contact with anyone other than prison guards," the lawyer told Norwegian news agency NTB, adding it is a violation of human rights.

In January, Breivik was denied parole, with judges ruling he must remain in prison.

They said he remained a potential threat and there is "an obvious risk" he could return to the behaviour that led to the massacre.

He professed white supremacist views and flashed Nazi salutes during the opening day of the hearing, while claiming to have renounced violence.

Breivik has served 10 years of the 21-year sentence he was handed for a bomb and gun attack which also left dozens wounded.

On 22 July 2011, after months of meticulous preparations, Breivik set off a car bomb outside the government headquarters in Oslo, killing eight people.

He then drove 24 miles (38km) to the island of Utoya, where he opened fire on the annual summer camp of the left-wing Labour Party's youth wing.

Sixty-nine people there were killed, most of them teenagers, before Breivik surrendered to police.

Breivik was declared sane at his trial, although the prosecution argued he was psychotic.

He did not appeal against his sentence but unsuccessfully sued the government for human rights violations for denying him the right to communicate with sympathisers.

Breivik tried again, and in 2016, he was successful.

He had complained about his isolation from other prisoners, frequent strip searches and the fact that he was often handcuffed during the early part of his incarceration.

The terrorist also complained about the quality of the prison food, having to eat with plastic utensils and not being able to communicate with sympathisers.