A court in Oslo convicted a 28-year-old former U.S. Embassy security guard of espionage on Wednesday. Judges ruled that he spied for Russia and Iran, sentencing him to three years and seven months in prison.
The man, whose name remains undisclosed, admitted the facts in the indictment but denied criminal intent. Prosecutors said he shared information about embassy diplomats, building layouts, and security protocols, according to Norwegian state broadcaster NRK.
NRK reported that U.S. ties to Israel and the war in Gaza motivated him to contact Russian and Iranian officials. The court also found that he provided details capable of assisting foreign intelligence services, though the defense strongly disagreed.
Defense Claims the Information Was Worthless
Defense attorneys argued that the court misinterpreted the meaning of espionage under Norwegian law.
“He exaggerated his position and lied about having security clearance,” said Inger Zadig of Elden Law Firm.
“He had access similar to a janitor, and his information was useless.”
They insisted the data he shared could not harm any country or individual. The defendant was convicted of five espionage-related charges but cleared of gross corruption.
The defense team is now considering an appeal, arguing that the verdict sets a troubling precedent. Prosecutor Carl Fredrik Fari said his office may also appeal the sentence, as the state requested more than six years in prison.
At the time of his November arrest, the man was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in security and preparedness at Norway’s Arctic University (UiT).
Growing Espionage Concerns Along the Russian Border
This marks the second espionage case linked to UiT in recent years. In 2022, police arrested a supposed Brazilian researcher named José Assis Giammaria for spying. Authorities later identified him as Mikhail Valeryevich Mikushin, a Russian national, who was released in a prisoner exchange with Russia in 2023.
Norway shares a 198-kilometre Arctic border with Russia and has faced increasing security concerns since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The government has since restricted Russian entry and considered building a border fence to strengthen national security.
Officials said the embassy spy case highlights Norway’s vulnerability to foreign intelligence operations amid heightened geopolitical tensions.
