Norwegian accused of being a spy is released – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country

– PST assesses that the conditions for further detention are no longer met. The charge is upheld and the investigation will continue beyond the autumn, writes senior advisor Eirik Veum in an email to news. The Norwegian has soon been remanded in custody for two months. He was arrested on his way home from China at the beginning of July, and charged with attempted gross intelligence activities against state secrets. The man has always denied guilt. According to his defender, Marius Dietrichson, the man has not conducted intelligence activities. Rather, he has run a center that carries out political analyses, said the defender in the previous prison meeting. – This was as expected. In our opinion, the grounds for suspicion are weakened and not present, he tells news on Friday afternoon. The court: grounds for suspicion not “particularly strong” The accused is a Norwegian citizen with parents from abroad, and before his arrest had contacts and held positions in several Norwegian political parties and organisations. In addition, the accused is highly educated, with a doctorate from a recognized university in China. Ahead of the last imprisonment meeting, PST said that they believed the suspicion against the Norwegian had been strengthened. However, the court then came to the conclusion that the grounds for suspicion were not “particularly strong”. China’s embassy has repeatedly denied that the man has conducted intelligence activities for China: “Individual Norwegian parties have repeatedly made irresponsible accusations without pointing to concrete facts, and they are spreading the narrative about the ‘China threat’, which disturbs the normally cooperative the atmosphere between China and Norway”. In the threat assessment from 2024, PST writes that China will pose a significant intelligence threat. This is explained by the deteriorating relationship between China and the West, and the country’s desire for increased control over supply chains and positioning in the Arctic. Published 23.08.2024, at 16.29 Updated 23.08.2024, at 16.47



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