Anders Behring Breivik in red (courtesy Creative Commons)

“I acknowledge the acts but do not plead guilty, and I claim I was doing it in self-defense,” he told The Daily Beast.

An expert found him sane and capable of standing trial, overruling an earlier diagnosis.

Norway does not have a death penalty. If the diagnosis that he is sane remains and he is convicted, he will be imprisoned. If he were found to be insane he would instead be confined to a mental facility.

In court, Breivik was defiant and raised a close fist, saying that he does not recognize the court’s authority.

"I do not recognize the Norwegian court. You've gotten your mandate from political parties that support multiculturalism," he told CNN.

Prosecutors played a recording of a terrified girl phoning for help last summer. The audio also contained numerous gunshots, according to CNN. The incident at a Labor Party camp that 700 young people attended left 69 dead.

Security camera video of a bomb blast that killed eight people was also played.

The trial is expected to last 10 weeks. Breivik is charged with committing acts of terror and voluntary homicide.

Breivik is due to testify Tuesday. On Monday he asked for his testimony to be broadcast, claiming it as a human right.