Norwegian man living in Budapest sentenced to 10 years for threatening massacre greater than Breivik’s
The Metropolitan Court of Budapest has sentenced a 46-year-old Norwegian man to ten years in prison for threatening a massacre in Hungary that he claimed would surpass the atrocities committed by Anders Behring Breivik in 2011. The man was also found guilty of possessing child pornography. The ruling is not final, as both the defendant and his lawyer have appealed.
From “dark humour” to a credible threat
The defendant, who does not speak Hungarian, uploaded videos to a sharing platform in which he openly talked about committing mass killings. He declared his intention to outdo Breivik, who murdered 77 people in Norway in 2011.
In court, he argued that his videos were merely examples of “creative dark humour” and an exercise of free speech, 24.hu reports. However, the presiding judge rejected this defence, stating that his “suggestive and aggressive style,” coupled with repeated calls for murder, made the threats appear real and serious. According to the court, the videos were capable of inciting fear among the public and therefore could not be regarded as jokes or satire.
Child pornography charges
According to HVG, alongside the terror threat charges, investigators also found pornographic recordings of children under the age of 12 on the man’s mobile phones. The defendant claimed that hackers had placed the material on his devices, but this possibility was ruled out during the proceedings.
The court further noted that the man had a prior conviction in Norway for sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 16, which weighed heavily against him in the trial. Witness testimonies and his criminal record reinforced the case, leading to a guilty verdict on all counts.
Expulsion and professional ban
In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered the Norwegian citizen to be expelled from Hungary for ten years once he serves his term. He has also been permanently barred from engaging in any occupation or activity that would allow him to contact with persons under the age of 18.
The court further instructed that his threatening videos be permanently removed from online platforms to prevent their circulation.
Ongoing appeals
The man remains in custody while the appeal process continues. His lawyer has contested both the prison sentence and the decision to maintain pretrial detention. The prosecution, however, accepted the verdict.
According to János Hajdu, head of Hungary’s Counter-Terrorism Centre (TEK), the Norwegian man admitted during questioning that his intention was indeed to outdo Breivik’s massacre. This confession, coupled with the threatening nature of his videos, prompted swift and decisive action from Hungarian authorities.