EDL blogger on Breivik: ‘It wasn’t me’

Police are continuing their questioning of UK English Defence League blogger Paul Ray today to discuss his possible connections with Anders Behring Breivik

“Paul Ray is an interesting person for the police because Anders Behring Breivik says he is his mentor. We would have wanted to question him anyway if he had not come to Norway,” said prosecutor Christian Hatlo to NRK.

Breivik has claimed that he and Ray – or “Richard the Lionhearted” as he calls him in the manifesto he sent to 250 British contacts – met in London nine years ago when they co-founded the Knights Templar organisation. The EDL member contests having met Breivik.

“I have never spoken to him or had contact with him in any other way, and I have in no way been his mentor,” said Ray upon his arrival at Oslo Gardermoen Airport yesterday.

It is also suspected that Ray was a role model for Breivik, and the EDL blogger has previously admitted he could have been the influence behind the mass murderer’s antics.

“It does worry me that he got inspiration from my blog and it does look that way,” he said.

Ray, whose real name is Paul Sonato, confessed that he was against the attacks, though, declaring, “I am horrified that I am linked to what happened here. How can anyone in a sane mind condone what he did? The mind boggles at it and you cannot comprehend what he has done…What he did was pure evil. I could never use what he has done to further my own beliefs.”

Before his initial questioning yesterday, Ray claimed he was sure his name would be cleared. Talking of “tremendous strain” because of media pressure, he also suggested “they should focus on [the blogger] ‘Fjordman’ instead.

Police have previously interviewed ‘Fjordman’ after he came forward voluntarily to distance himself from Breivik.

Whilst several foreign police forces are assisting the Norwegians with their investigations, Paul Ray now tells Dagbladet he has evidence Anders Behring Breivik wanted to lay the blame on him. Referring to Breivik’s YouTube video, uploaded only a few hours before the attack, Ray says, “I have studied it. Breivik only mentions Lionheart to defame me. That is the only reason why the picture [of Richard the Lionhearted] is there,” he alleges.

The Foreigner

Thanks to Greg for the heads-up