OSLO: A Norwegian who worked as a security guard for the US embassy in Oslo went on trial Wednesday, accused of sharing information with Russian and Iranian intelligence, media reported.
The man, who is in his late 20s, is accused of having supplied information on embassy activities between March 2024 and November 20, the date of his arrest, according to the charge sheet.
In return, he was paid in euros and bitcoin.
He is accused of having supplied either the Russians or the Iranians — or both — with the contact details of diplomats, embassy staff and their families.
He is also accused of having supplied the diplomatic license-plate numbers of vehicles used by the embassy.
The charge sheet also alleges he handed over floor plans of the embassy, security routines and a list of couriers Norway’s intelligence service used.
On the first day of his trial, prosecutors presented evidence in the form of an email to the Russian embassy where the man wrote that he had “information that could be useful to you,” public broadcaster NRK reported.
The trial is scheduled to take eight days.
“He acknowledges the facts of the case but denies criminal liability. He is sorry for what he has done, but he is not a spy,” Inger Zadig, the defendant’s lawyer, told news agency NTB.
If convicted of the charges, he could spend up to 21 years in jail, the prosecution service told AFP in July.
Norway’s intelligence service has regularly accused Russia, Iran and China as being the greatest threats to the country so far as spying is concerned.
A member of NATO, Norway shares a land border with Russia in the Arctic.
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Former US embassy guard in Norway on trial for spying for Russia, Iran
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Former US embassy guard in Norway on trial for spying for Russia, Iran
- The man, who is in his late 20s, is accused of having supplied information on embassy activities between March 2024 and November 20
Kim unveils homes for kin of North Korean troops killed aiding Russia: KCNA
SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un touted a newly built street of flats for families of soldiers killed supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine, state media reported Monday, with photos showing him accompanied by his daughter.
North Korea has deployed thousands of troops to fight for Russia, according to South Korean and Western intelligence agencies, and Seoul has estimated that around 2,000 have been killed.
Analysts say North Korea is receiving financial aid, military technology and food and energy supplies from Russia in return.
“The new street has been built thanks to the ardent desire of our motherland that wishes that... its excellent sons, who defended the most sacred things by sacrificing their most valuable things, will live forever,” Kim said in a speech released by the official Korean Central News Agency.
The report on Monday did not mention Russia, but Kim last week pledged to “unconditionally support” all of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s policies and decisions.
“Before their death, the heroic martyrs must have pictured in their mind’s eye their dear families living in the ever-prospering country,” he added.
Photos released by KCNA show Kim touring the new homes built for the families on Saeppyol Street, alongside his teenage daughter Ju Ae, widely viewed as his heir apparent.
Seoul’s spy agency said last week she had now been clearly “designated as a successor,” citing her participation in high-profile events with her father.
One photo shows Kim speaking with what appeared to be the family members of a fallen soldier on a sofa, his daughter standing behind them.
Other photos show families checking the utilities in their new flats.
The rollout comes ahead of Pyongyang’s biggest political event on the calendar — the party congress — scheduled to take place later this month, although the exact date has not been announced.
Attention is on which foreign and domestic policy directions Kim will declare to set the country’s course, as well as whether Ju Ae will be given any official party titles.
The timing of the street inauguration is a “highly calculated political move to justify its soldier deployment” ahead of the party congress, Hong Min, an analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told AFP.
“It visualizes the state providing concrete compensation to the families of fallen soldiers... as a symbolic showcase,” he said.
North Korea has deployed thousands of troops to fight for Russia, according to South Korean and Western intelligence agencies, and Seoul has estimated that around 2,000 have been killed.
Analysts say North Korea is receiving financial aid, military technology and food and energy supplies from Russia in return.
“The new street has been built thanks to the ardent desire of our motherland that wishes that... its excellent sons, who defended the most sacred things by sacrificing their most valuable things, will live forever,” Kim said in a speech released by the official Korean Central News Agency.
The report on Monday did not mention Russia, but Kim last week pledged to “unconditionally support” all of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s policies and decisions.
“Before their death, the heroic martyrs must have pictured in their mind’s eye their dear families living in the ever-prospering country,” he added.
Photos released by KCNA show Kim touring the new homes built for the families on Saeppyol Street, alongside his teenage daughter Ju Ae, widely viewed as his heir apparent.
Seoul’s spy agency said last week she had now been clearly “designated as a successor,” citing her participation in high-profile events with her father.
One photo shows Kim speaking with what appeared to be the family members of a fallen soldier on a sofa, his daughter standing behind them.
Other photos show families checking the utilities in their new flats.
The rollout comes ahead of Pyongyang’s biggest political event on the calendar — the party congress — scheduled to take place later this month, although the exact date has not been announced.
Attention is on which foreign and domestic policy directions Kim will declare to set the country’s course, as well as whether Ju Ae will be given any official party titles.
The timing of the street inauguration is a “highly calculated political move to justify its soldier deployment” ahead of the party congress, Hong Min, an analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told AFP.
“It visualizes the state providing concrete compensation to the families of fallen soldiers... as a symbolic showcase,” he said.
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