The police’s security service (PST) believes that José Assis Giammaria is actually Russian Mikhail Valerievich Mikushin (44). Gimmaria has worked at the University of Tromsø with a Brazilian passport, but was arrested by the police on Monday. On Friday, the man was detained for four weeks. He has agreed to detention, but denies criminal guilt. On Friday afternoon, researcher Christo Grozev in the excavation network Bellingcat will provide new information about the man who had a Brazilian passport, but who the police believe is a Russian spy. Grozev writes on Twitter that they have information linking Mikhail Valerievich Mikushin (44) to the intelligence service GRU. – Good job, Norway – you have taken a colonel from the GRU, writes Christo Grozev in Bellingcat on Twitter. (Further down in the case, you can read about how Grozev can establish this) VG has a collaboration with Bellingcat, and was the first to come up with this information. Brazilian identity The excavation network Bellingcat is known for its investigation of events in Eastern Europe. Grozev is the main researcher in matters about Russia. He has previously helped to identify Russian agents who were involved in the attack on Sergei Skripal. The man who was detained for four weeks on Friday has been in Norway with what PST believes is a false identity. PST believes the man is a so-called “illegal”. That is, a person who has built up an identity as an ordinary citizen, while quietly working for foreign intelligence. – We believe it is likely that he is not who he claims to be with the Brazilian passport, says police attorney Thomas Blom in PST. PST believes the man works for one of the Russian intelligence services. Section 121. Intelligence activities against state secrets Whoever, for the benefit of a foreign state, terrorist organization or without valid reason, collects or takes possession of secret information which, if it becomes known to such a state, is punished with a fine or imprisonment of up to 3 years. terrorist organization or is otherwise disclosed, may damage fundamental national interests that apply to a. defense, security and preparedness matters, b. the activities, security or freedom of action of the highest state bodies, c. relations with other states, d. security arrangements for the representation of foreign states and at major national and international events, e. society’s infrastructure, such as food, water and energy supply, transport and telecommunications, health emergency services or the banking and monetary system, or e. Norwegian natural resources. How they found him Bellingcat researcher Grozev writes on Twitter that the Russian identity that PST published on Friday afternoon should be true. He says they have the photo from the man’s Russian driver’s license. – Microsoft Azure (and our eyes) confirms that it is the same person, he writes. Photo: Christo Grozev/Twitter When the researcher thought they had confirmed the man’s identity, they checked the addresses where the man had stayed. – Bingo! He was registered at the address of the dormitory of the GRU Academy. That means he’s at least a colonel! writes Grozev. In an interview with news, Grozev says that everyone who graduates from this academy has at least this degree. news has not made contact with defender Marijana Lozic after the latest information from Bellingcat. She said earlier Friday that he pleads not guilty. – He wants to cooperate with PST, said Lozic. The Russian embassy rejected acquaintance The man who came to Norway with a Brazilian identity is employed at the University of Tromsø where he is part of the research group “The Gray Zone”. The group deals with topics such as social security, preparedness and hybrid threats. The Russian embassy has previously denied any knowledge of this man. – Generally speaking, recently spy mania has been actively promoted in Norway. Russian fishing vessels, Russian research ships, drone flights, photography and the like are mentioned in this context, the embassy wrote to news earlier this week. The embassy further writes that public agencies, private companies and individuals are all now suspected of espionage in Norway.
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Man accused of spying, officer in Russia’s intelligence service – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
