Norway mass murderer Anders Breivik makes Nazi salute as he sues over human rights

Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik has made a Nazi salute as he appeared at a special hearing at a gym-turned-courtroom inside his jail, claiming to be a victim of human rights abuses.

The 37-year-old raised his right arm to make the offensive gesture after having his handcuffs removed ahead of the hearing as he seeks changes to his confined-living conditions.

The court appearance is the first time Breivik has been seen in public since his 2012 trial.

Breivik is serving 21 years for killing 77 people in a bomb attack in Oslo and shooting spree at a Labour Youth camp on the island of Utoya in 2011.

The 37-year-old entered under the supervision of several guards and made the salute seconds after his handcuffs were removed. Credit: Reuters

He accuses the Norwegian government of breaching two clauses of the European Convention on Human Rights by holding him in isolation at the Skien prison, around 60 miles south-west of Oslo.

"He wants contact with other people," his lawyer, Oeystein Storrvik, told reporters ahead of the trial.

Anders Breivik sat between his lawyers Mona Danielsen - left- and Oystein Storrvik, who began outlining his case against the Norwegian government. Credit: Reuters

Aside from prison guards and professional staff, Breivik has had just one personal visitor since beginning his sentence.

His mother was allowed into prison and gave him a hug shortly before she died of cancer in 2013.

The Skien jail's gymnasium has been transformed into a courtroom for the hearing of Anders Breivik's abuse claim. Credit: RTV

Breivik is kept apart from other inmates and has likened his prison conditions to "torture".

The court hearing, which is expected to run until Friday, is taking place in the Skien jail's gym to avoid the security problems of moving the far-right extremist from prison.

A general view of a cell inside the Skien prison where Anders Breivik is serving a 21-year sentence. Credit: Reuters/NTB Scanpix

Breivik, who claimed he carried out the 2011 attack because he was opposed to Norway’s multicultural society, is arguing his human rights to "correspondence" and respect for "private and family life" is being denied.

He also claims the conditions of his confinement breach a clause prohibiting "inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment".

Norway's attorney general claims Breivik's prison conditions are "well within the limits of what is permitted".

In pre-trial documents, the office said "there is no evidence that the plaintiff has physical or mental problems as a result of prison conditions".

Families and friends of the 69 people - mostly teenagers - gunned down on the island of Utoya have gathered each year at the site of the mass murder to pay their respects. Credit: Reuters

Breivik has access to three cells within his jail - for living, studying and exercise - and has access to a TV, a Playstation games console and a computer without internet access.

Breivik's legal team confirmed they might take the case to the European Court of Human Rights if he fails in Norwegian courts.

Anders Breivik's court hearing is expected to run until Friday. Credit: RTV

The court sanctioned Turkey in 2014 for the inhuman treatment of Abdullah Ocalan, the founder of the Kurdistan Workers Party, by keeping him in isolation for a decade until 2009.

Breivik's 21-year jail term is the maximum sentence handed down by the Norwegian courts but can be extended if he is still considered a danger to society upon its completion.