Norwegian Student Arrested on Suspicion of Spying for Russia and Iran While Working at US Embassy

Oslo: A Norwegian student in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of spying for Russia and Iran while working as a security guard at the US Embassy in Oslo. The man, whose name has not been made public, has been ordered to stay in custody for four weeks. He also runs a security company with a dual Norwegian and Eastern European citizen.

According to Norwegian public broadcaster NRK, following the arrest of the student, the Norwegian police said that they would review the company's operating license. The country’s intelligence agency, PST, said the man was arrested at his home on Wednesday for activities that could harm national security.

The police found records showing that the man had been in contact with someone who appeared to be directing his spying activities. The man has admitted to gathering and sharing information with Russian and Iranian authorities.

The court documents state that the man has confessed, but his lawyer, John Christian Elden, says the man does not accept the full charge of espionage. Instead, he admits to working for a foreign country but denies that he intended to harm the security of other countries.

The man is studying for a degree in security and preparedness at Norway’s Arctic University (UiT). This is the second case involving UiT in recent years. In 2022, a guest researcher at the university, who had claimed to be Brazilian, was arrested for espionage. It was later revealed that he was actually a Russian spy.

Norway shares a long border with Russia, and since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Norway has made it much harder for Russian nationals to enter the country. In September, Norway even considered building a fence along part of its border with Russia to improve security.