The Oslo District Court decided on Monday that Marius Borg Høiby (29) may remain in pretrial detention for four weeks with an electronic ankle monitor at the Skaugum estate. This is reported by several Norwegian media outlets, including the public broadcaster NRK and the daily newspaper "Dagbladet" in agreement. Høiby, the eldest son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit (52), has accepted the decision.
When will Marius Borg Høiby be released from prison?
However, the prosecutor's office intends to appeal the district court's decision with suspensive effect. They have until July 14 at 12:00 PM to do so. When Høiby will actually be able to leave prison therefore remains uncertain for now.
Last week, the Norwegian prosecutor's office requested that the 29-year-old's pretrial detention be extended for another four weeks. As justification, they cited the risk of new criminal offenses. Høiby's defense attorney Petar Sekulic described this assessment as difficult to comprehend.
Høiby has been in pretrial detention since February. The Oslo District Court sentenced him on June 15 for, among other things, two violations, assault and abuse in a close relationship to four years in prison. He was acquitted of two additional violation charges. Since Høiby has appealed parts of the verdict, it is not yet legally binding. Since the announcement, he has been held at Ila prison in Bærum.
Høiby appeared in court in person
According to "Dagbladet", Høiby appeared in court in person on Monday. District Judge Lise Bogen Behrens decided accordingly that he may spend the coming four weeks under electronic monitoring at Skaugum. His defense attorney Petar Sekulic stated that his client is satisfied with the decision, even though he had originally sought complete release. Høiby must now be with his mother Mette-Marit. While there have been visits that he greatly appreciated, given her health condition, he should also support her in everyday life.
Høiby's defense attorneys had previously requested that he be allowed to serve his pretrial detention with an electronic ankle monitor at Skaugum. The court initially rejected this. Mette-Marit made public in 2018 that she suffers from chronic pulmonary fibrosis. After her health condition recently deteriorated significantly, a lung transplant was performed in June. According to reports, the procedure was successful.
