A former US embassy guard in Norway has been convicted of spying on behalf of Russia and Iran, a report said.
The 28-year-old Norwegian, whose identity has not been made public, was sentenced to three years and seven months on Wednesday, The Associated Press reported.
A Norwegian police official told Reuters at the time of the suspect’s arrest last November that he worked at the US embassy in Oslo, Norway’s capital.
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The main entrance is pictured at the US Embassy in Norway. A former security agent was convicted there this week of spying for Russia and Iran, a report said. (US Embassy in Norway)
Prosecutors alleged that the man handed over details about the embassy’s diplomats, maps and security routines, among other things, Norwegian state broadcaster NRK reported. The broadcaster added that US ties with Israel and the war in Gaza prompted the man to contact Russia and Iran.
The suspect acknowledged the facts in the indictment but denied any criminal guilt, the AP said.
The man’s lawyers said in a statement on Thursday that the verdict raises questions about what is considered espionage under Norwegian law.
“He lied about his security clearance to agents from other countries and exaggerated his own role,” attorney Inger Zadig of Elden Law Firm told the AP. “He had approximately the same level of access as an embassy janitor. The information he shared was worthless and neither individually nor collectively capable of harming individuals or the security interests of any state.”
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Norwegian and American flags are displayed on a table in the Pentagon. (Alex Brandon/AP/File)
The defendant was found guilty of five espionage-related charges and acquitted of gross corruption. His lawyers are considering whether to appeal the verdict.
The 28-year-old man convicted of espionage worked as a security guard at the US embassy in Norway last November, a police official told Reuters. (US Embassy in Norway)
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When he was arrested last November, the man was studying for a bachelor’s degree in security and preparedness at the Norwegian Arctic University, UiT.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
