A court in Oslo convicted a 28-year-old Norwegian man of espionage on Wednesday after finding he spied for Russia and Iran. Judges sentenced him to three years and seven months in prison.
Prosecutors said the man passed on details about US Embassy diplomats, floor plans, and security routines, according to Norwegian broadcaster NRK. He admitted to sharing information but denied any criminal wrongdoing.
Investigators said the man became motivated by American ties to Israel and the war in Gaza, which led him to contact foreign intelligence agents.
Defence Argues Information Was Worthless
The man worked as a security guard at the US Embassy in Oslo. His defence team claimed he exaggerated his importance and misled agents from Russia and Iran.
“He lied about having security clearance and inflated his role,” said Inger Zadig of Elden Law Firm.
Zadig argued that her client had the same access level as a janitor and that the information he shared “had no value and posed no threat to anyone or any nation.”
The court found him guilty on five espionage-related charges but cleared him of gross corruption. Defence lawyers are now considering an appeal, while prosecutor Carl Fredrik Fari said his team may also appeal because the state had sought a six-year sentence.
Norway Tightens Security Amid Rising Espionage Concerns
Authorities arrested the man in November last year while he was studying security and preparedness at UiT – The Arctic University of Norway. The university has faced espionage scandals before.
In 2022, police arrested a UiT guest researcher who used the alias José Assis Giammaria but was later identified as Mikhail Valeryevich Mikushin, a Russian national. He was among those freed in a major prisoner swap between Russia and Western nations last year.
Norway shares a 198-kilometre border with Russia and has tightened restrictions on Russian nationals since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The government also announced plans to consider building a fence along parts of the border to strengthen national security.
