A former security guard at the US Embassy in Norway is convicted of spying for Russia and Iran

**Former U.S. Embassy Security Guard in Norway Convicted of Espionage for Russia and Iran**

A former security guard at the U.S. Embassy in Norway was convicted of espionage on Wednesday after a court in Oslo found that he had spied for both Russia and Iran. The 28-year-old Norwegian man, whose name has not been made public, was sentenced to three years and seven months behind bars.

The defendant acknowledged the facts presented in the indictment but denied any criminal guilt. Prosecutors revealed that he handed over sensitive information, including details about the embassy’s diplomats, floor plans, and security routines, Norwegian state broadcaster NRK reported.

According to NRK, the man’s actions were reportedly influenced by American ties to Israel and the ongoing war in Gaza, which motivated him to reach out to Russia and Iran.

### Defense Response

In a statement issued Thursday, the man’s defense attorneys questioned the espionage verdict under Norwegian law. Attorney Inger Zadig of Elden Law Firm stated:
“He lied about having security clearance to agents from other countries and exaggerated his own role. He had roughly the same level of access as a janitor at the embassy. The information he shared was worthless and neither separately nor collectively capable of harming individuals or the security interests of any state.”

The defendant was found guilty of five espionage-related charges but was acquitted of gross corruption.

### Next Steps

The defense team is currently considering whether to appeal the verdict. Prosecutor Carl Fredrik Fari has also indicated that his team may appeal the sentence, as the state had originally requested a prison term of more than six years.

### Background

At the time of his arrest last November, the man was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in security and preparedness at Norway’s Arctic University (UiT). This case marks the second espionage-related incident linked to UiT in recent years.

In a notable prior case, a guest researcher at UiT, arrested on espionage allegations in 2022, was revealed to be a Russian national named Mikhail Valeryevich Mikushin, who had been posing as a Brazilian named José Assis Giammaria. He was later involved in a major prisoner exchange between the West and Russia last year.

### Norway-Russia Relations

Norway shares a 198-kilometer (123-mile) border with Russia in the Arctic. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Norway has implemented strict entry restrictions for Russian nationals, reflecting heightened security concerns in the region.
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