Student accused of spying on U.S. for Russia and Iran from the American embassy in Oslo arrested

A young Norwegian man in his early 20s was arrested this week in Oslo on suspicion of carrying out espionage activities on behalf of Russia and Iran while serving as a security guard at the U.S. Embassy in the Norwegian capital.

The arrest was confirmed Friday by Norwegian authorities, who said the man, whose identity has not been disclosed, will be held for the next four weeks.

At a press conference, the Norwegian Domestic Intelligence Agency (PST) spokesperson, Thomas Blom, assured that it was still too early to provide additional details on the extent of the young man's activities.

However, the detainee's defense lawyer, John Christian Elden, stated that his client admits to working for a foreign country, although he is not pleading guilty to espionage charges. "He is charged with having obtained information that could harm the security situation of third countries," Elden explained.

Details of the arrest and charges

PST revealed that the arrest occurred in the garage of the suspect's residence last Wednesday. He was arrested on charges that his spying activities would have compromised U.S. security. According to the arrest warrant issued by the district court, authorities found communication records between the detainee and a person who apparently led the espionage activities. In addition, the suspect reportedly admitted to collecting and transmitting information to Russian and Iranian authorities.

Links to the Arctic University of Norway

The arrestee is currently pursuing a security and preparedness degree the Arctic University of Norway (UiT). This case is not the first to implicate university members in espionage activities. NRK noted that in recent years, another individual linked to UiT, Brazilian José Assis Giammaria, was part of a prisoner exchange with Russia in 2023 and turned out to be Russian Mikhail Valeryevich Mikushin, arrested in 2022 for espionage.

Tension on the border with Russia

Norway, which shares a 198-kilometer border with Russia, has stepped up security measures since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In response to rising tensions, the Norwegian government has implemented severe restrictions on Russian citizens and, in September, discussed a plan to build a fence along the border with Russia as part of its efforts to tighten security in the Arctic region.

The case is still developing, and Norwegian authorities promise to keep the public informed as more details about the nature of the spying activities in which the detainee was involved become clearer.