A Norwegian man working as a security guard at the US Embassy in Oslo is now in police custody, suspected of sharing information with Russian and Iranian authorities. A court in Oslo ordered him held in prison for at least the next four weeks, as the investigation into his alleged espionage continues.

The US Embassy complex in Oslo is often referred to as “Fortress America,” but now there’s concern that one of its security guards has been supplying information to both Russian and Iranian agents. PHOTO: NewsinEnglish.no/Morten Møst

Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reported that the man was arrested at home in his own garage on Wednesday. He’s a Norwegian citizen in his 20s, and has formally been charged with attempted and exaggerated intelligence gathering of state secrets, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Norway’s domestic intelligence agency PST (Politiets sikkerhetstjeneste) later confirmed that the man was working as a guard at the US Embassy, where embassy officials were said to be following the work of the Norwegian police with interest. Prosecutor Thomas Blom said after a press conference Thursday that PST has “good cooperation” with American authorities.

Ran a security firm
NRK reported that the defendant operates a security firm along with another man that offers guard services and had been approved by police to offer security guard services in Oslo. He ran the company along with a partner who’s also a Norwegian citizen but holds dual citizenship in an Eastern European country that was not identified.

John Christian Elden, one of Norway’s most well-known defense attorneys, was appointed to represent the suspected spy. When asked whether his new client was working for the US Embassy, Elden replied only that “he has worked for a foreign country.” His work at the embassy that’s now been confirmed is significant since, according to the court’s decision to jail him, he could at the very least have collected information on who visits the embassy.

NRK reported that court documents also reveal that he has admitted collecting information that he’s shared with Russian and Iranian authorities. The documents also reveal that police have found evidence of a “dialogue” with a so-called føringsoffiser, a person who instructs and leads spies.

‘Large digital seizure’
Blom of PST said it was “too early” to say what information had actually been shared or what sharing has been attempted. Blom wouldn’t reveal the content of the information, claiming that “we’re just at the beginning of a quite extensive investigation.” He noted, however, that PST officials already have made what was described as a “large digital seizure” in the case.

The suspect, who hasn’t been publicly identified in line with press tradition in Norway, has no earlier police record but is being held in isolation for at least the first week of his confinement. His defense attorney Elden said he contests charges that he gathered information that can threaten security for another country, “and the question is whether the information he’s had is of such character.” His client denies that is, Elden said, and he contests charges he’s been a spy.

NewsinEnglish.no/Nina Berglund