An Oslo court convicted a 28-year-old Norwegian man of spying for Russia and Iran on Wednesday. The man, a former security guard at the US Embassy in Norway, received a three-year and seven-month prison sentence.
Prosecutors said he shared confidential details about the embassy’s diplomats, floor plans, and security procedures, according to Norwegian state broadcaster NRK. The man admitted the facts in the indictment but denied criminal intent.
NRK reported that his disapproval of US ties to Israel and the Gaza war led him to contact Russian and Iranian officials. Authorities said he passed on sensitive information while working at the embassy, compromising its operational privacy.
Defence Challenges Definition of Espionage
In a statement, defence attorney Inger Zadig from Elden Law Firm argued that the verdict misinterprets Norwegian espionage law.
“He lied about holding security clearance and exaggerated his role,” Zadig said.
She claimed the man had minimal access, equivalent to that of a janitor, and that the information he shared held no intelligence value.
“Nothing he disclosed could harm individuals or national security,” she added.
The court found him guilty of five espionage-related charges but acquitted him of gross corruption. His lawyers are considering an appeal, while prosecutor Carl Fredrik Fari said his team might appeal the sentence, since the state requested more than six years in prison.
At the time of his arrest last November, the defendant was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in security and preparedness at Norway’s Arctic University (UiT).
Norway Tightens Security as Espionage Cases Rise
According to NRK, this is the second espionage case involving a UiT student in recent years. One of the individuals swapped with Russia during a major prisoner exchange last year was a UiT guest researcher who posed as a Brazilian named José Assis Giammaria. Police later identified him as Russian national Mikhail Valeryevich Mikushin.
Norway shares a 198-kilometre border with Russia in the Arctic. Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Norway has restricted Russian entry and tightened border controls.
In 2023, the Norwegian government said it was evaluating plans to build a fence along parts of the border to strengthen national security amid increasing espionage concerns.
