A Norwegian court has sentenced a former security guard at the US Embassy in Norway’s capital Oslo to three years and seven months in prison for spying for Russia and Iran.
The 28-year-old Norwegian man, whose name has not been made public, was found guilty of providing foreign intelligence services with floor plans, security routines and personal information about US diplomats and their families between March and November 2024.
According to the court’s ruling, the man received €10,000 from Russian intelligence and 0.17 bitcoin (about €15,800) from Iranian intelligence in exchange for the information.
Judges said the data was “of a nature that could be used for direct actions and physical attacks against the concerned individuals” and that the accused was aware his actions could harm US security interests.
The man admitted to sharing the information but denied committing aggravated espionage, arguing that the material was not classified. He told the court his actions were motivated by opposition to the US’ support for Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
His lawyer, Inger Zadig, said her client had minimal access within the embassy. “He had roughly the same level of access as a janitor,” she said, insisting that the data shared was of no real value. The defence team has not yet decided whether to appeal.
Prosecutors had sought a sentence of six years and four months. Espionage offences in Norway are punishable by up to 21 years in prison.
The man was first arrested in November 2024 after a raid on his home by Norway’s Police Security Service (PST), which seized a large amount of digital material. At the time, officials said the suspect was co-operating with investigators.
At the time of his arrest, the man was studying for a bachelor’s degree in security and preparedness at the Arctic University of Norway (UiT). It is the second espionage case in recent years linked to the institution, following the 2022 arrest of a Russian agent posing as a Brazilian researcher.
Norwegian intelligence agencies have long identified Russia, Iran, and China as the main countries conducting intelligence operations in Norway.
The NATO member State shares a 198 kilometre border with Russia in the Arctic and has tightened its security measures since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
A Norwegian citizen working as a security guard at the US embassy in Norway has been arrested and detained over alleged co-operation with foreign intelligence services. https://t.co/pWDYd0RpL2
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) November 22, 2024
