A former guard employed at the United States Embassy in Norway has been found guilty of espionage activities benefiting Russia and Iran, according to reports.
The 28-year-old Norwegian national, whose name remains undisclosed, received a sentence of three years and seven months on Wednesday, as reported by The Associated Press.
At the time of his arrest last November, a Norwegian police representative informed Reuters that the man was employed at the U.S. Embassy in Oslo, the capital of Norway.
Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department for comments on Thursday, but there was no immediate response.
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The main entryway of the U.S. Embassy in Norway is shown. Earlier this week, a former security official there was handed a sentence for spying for Russia and Iran, according to reports. (U.S. Embassy in Norway)
Prosecutors alleged that the man handed over details about the embassy’s diplomats, its floor plans and security routines, among other information, Norwegian state broadcaster NRK reported. The broadcaster added that American ties to Israel and the war in Gaza prompted the man to contact Russia and Iran.
The suspect acknowledged the indictment’s facts but denied any criminal guilt, according to the AP.
The man’s defense attorneys said in a statement Thursday that the verdict raises questions about what is considered espionage under Norwegian law.
“He lied about having security clearance to agents from other countries and exaggerated his own role,” attorney Inger Zadig of Elden Law Firm told the AP. “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.”
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Norwegian and American flags are seen on a table at the Pentagon. (Alex Brandon/AP/File)
The defendant was found guilty of five espionage-related charges and was acquitted of gross corruption. His defense attorneys are weighing whether to appeal the verdict.
The 28-year-old man who was convicted of espionage was working as a security guard at the U.S. Embassy in Norway last November, a police official told Reuters. (U.S. Embassy in Norway)
At the time of his arrest last November, the man had been studying for a bachelor’s degree in security and preparedness at Norway’s Arctic University, UiT.
