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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Russia sentences Norwegian to 14 years over espionage

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Moscow: A Moscow court on Tuesday convicted a retired Norwegian border guard on spying charges and sentenced him to 14 years in prison.


Frode Berg, 63, was detained in Moscow in 2017 following a sting operation by Russia’s FSB security service. Prosecutors accused him of spying on the country’s nuclear submarines.


Judge Andrei Suvorov of the Moscow City Court found Berg guilty of espionage and jailed him for 14 years in a strict-regime penal colony.


A dejected, tired-looking Berg, dressed in a dark suit and white shirt, stood inside a glass cage as the judge read out the verdict in front of journalists.


It was the only time the trial was open to the media and many details of the case remain unclear. Russian prosecutors accused Berg of spying on the country’s nuclear submarines. The FSB declined to comment on Tuesday.


In December, a former Russian police officer was accused of handing Berg files on the Russian navy and given a 13-year prison term.


Berg has admitted to acting several times as a courier for the Norwegian intelligence but said he thought he was only carrying money.


The defence team said they hoped diplomatic efforts could persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to sign a presidential pardon so Berg could be released and go home.


Berg’s lawyer Ilya Novikov said his client calmly accepted the sentencing.


“He expects his government to undertake diplomatic efforts,” Novikov said, adding Berg was not planning to appeal.


“We see no practical use in appealing.” Both Novikov and Berg’s Norwegian lawyer Brynjulf Risnes said an effort by Norway had probably been made to gather intelligence.


— AFP


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