Norway has opened a new memorial for the 77 victims of the country's deadliest peacetime terror attack, days before its 15th anniversary. On July 22, 2011, neo-Nazi Anders Breivik killed eight people with a car bomb in Oslo and shot dead another 69, mostly teenagers, at a youth camp on Utoeya island. Hundreds more were injured.

On Sunday, survivors and relatives gathered in Oslo for the unveiling of a large artwork called 'Upholding', featuring a bird native to Utoeya island. The 12-meter-high stone mosaic was created by artist Matias Faldbakken, who said he saw the bird on the island. The names of all 77 victims are engraved on the memorial.

Norway's Crown Prince Haakon and government officials attended the ceremony. The prince also visited the new 22 July Centre, a national memorial and education center dedicated to the attacks.

Merete Stamneshagen, head of a support group for victims and survivors, said: 'July 22, 2011 was a brutal attack not only on individuals, but also on our democracy.'

In 2012, Breivik was sentenced to 21 years in prison, the maximum in Norway, which can be extended if he is deemed a threat. He has repeatedly challenged his sentence: in 2016 he partially won a human rights case, in 2022 his parole bid was rejected, and in 2024 he unsuccessfully sued the government over isolation conditions.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk