Ex-US Embassy security guard in Norway convicted of spying for Russia and Iran
A former U.S. Embassy security guard in Norway was convicted Wednesday of spying for Russia and Iran, a court in Oslo announced. The 28-year-old Norwegian, whose name has not been released, was sentenced to three years and seven months in prison. While he admitted to the facts outlined in the indictment, he denied any criminal intent.
Prosecutors said the man provided information about the embassy’s diplomats, floor plans, and security routines. Reports indicate that his contacts with Russia and Iran were motivated in part by American ties to Israel and the conflict in Gaza. Defense attorneys argued that the conviction raises questions about how espionage is defined under Norwegian law, claiming that the man had minimal access—comparable to that of a janitor—and that the information he shared posed no real threat to national security.
He was found guilty on five espionage-related charges but acquitted of gross corruption. His attorneys are considering an appeal, while prosecutors are also evaluating whether to challenge the sentence, which was shorter than the six years they had sought. At the time of his arrest in November, the defendant was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in security and preparedness at Norway’s Arctic University, UiT, which has been linked to a prior espionage case involving a Russian national posing as a Brazilian researcher.
Norway shares a 123-mile Arctic border with Russia, and following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the country has heavily restricted entry for Russian nationals. Authorities last year also discussed building a fence along part or all of the border as a security measure.
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