An Oslo court convicted a 28-year-old Norwegian man of spying for Russia and Iran while working at the US Embassy in Norway. Judges sentenced him to three years and seven months in prison.
The man admitted to the facts listed in the indictment but denied committing any crime. Prosecutors said he shared information about embassy diplomats, floor plans, and security routines, according to Norwegian broadcaster NRK.
Investigators said the man’s discontent with US ties to Israel and the war in Gaza motivated him to contact Russian and Iranian intelligence services.
Defence Claims Embassy Secrets Were Worthless
In a statement, the man’s defence team argued that the verdict raised concerns about what qualifies as espionage under Norwegian law.
“He exaggerated his position and lied about his security clearance,” said attorney Inger Zadig of the Elden Law Firm.
“He had access equivalent to a janitor. The information he shared held no real value and could not harm any state or individual.”
The court found him guilty of five espionage-related charges but cleared him of gross corruption. His lawyers are now considering an appeal, while prosecutor Carl Fredrik Fari said his team may also challenge the sentence, as the state had requested more than six years in prison.
At the time of his arrest in November, the man was studying security and preparedness at UiT – the Arctic University of Norway. NRK noted that this marks the second espionage case involving UiT in recent years.
Norway Tightens Security Amid Growing Tensions with Russia
In 2023, one of the prisoners Western nations swapped with Russia was a UiT guest researcher accused of espionage. The man posed as a Brazilian academic named José Assis Giammaria but was later identified as Russian agent Mikhail Valeryevich Mikushin.
Norway shares a 198-kilometre border with Russia in the Arctic. Since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Oslo has restricted entry for Russian nationals and boosted border security.
The Norwegian government is now considering constructing a fence along all or part of the Russia-Norway border to enhance national safety and prevent further security breaches.
