OSLO - Anders Behring Breivik, who confessed to the massacre of 77 people in Norway in July, tried in vain to make a show of his first public court appearance on Monday, but was blocked from addressing the families of his victims.

The Oslo district court ruled that Behring Breivik would remain in custody until Feb 6, when a new custody extension hearing will be held, and announced a possible trial start-date of April 16.

The 32-year-old right-wing extremist, wearing a dark suit, white shirt and light blue tie and sporting a narrow beard, asked judge Torkel Nesheim if he could speak to the families "for five minutes", but was turned down.

It was the first court hearing open to survivors, victims' family members, the media and the general public since the July 22 killing spree.

After the hearing, his lawyer Geir Lippestad, who had asked that his client be set free, said Behring Breivik had prepared a short note, but that he did not know what he had planned to say.

Behring Breivik also attempted to take advantage of his first public appearance since the attacks to make a speech.

"I am a military commander in a resistance movement," Behring Breivik said in a calm voice before questioning the legitimacy of the court to try him.

"You have been mandated by those who support multiculturalism. That is a hateful ideology that aims to destroy the Norwegian society," he told Nesheim, who quickly interrupted him.

The judge said he did not want to offer Behring Breivik "a soap box or an opportunity to justify his actions".

Appearing calm and with a hint of a smile on his lips, the confessed killer turned repeatedly to look at the crowd in the courtroom, which looked on in stony silence.

The court had initially placed a gag order on reporting Behring Breivik's words for fear he would turn the hearing into a platform for his far-right ideology, but later lifted the order.

A ban on publishing pictures or video of him remained in effect however.

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 11/16/2011 page12)