Norwegian Man Appears in Court for Alleged Espionage for China

A Norwegian man appeared in an Oslo court on Tuesday, facing charges of allegedly spying for China, as stated by Norway’s secret service. Thomas Blom, a spokesperson for the counter-espionage unit, emphasized the preliminary nature of the case and withheld many details.

The unidentified man, described as “well known,” was arrested Monday at Oslo’s Gardermoen Airport upon returning from China and will be detained for at least four weeks. The charges involve “attempted” espionage, with “data-carrying devices” being crucial evidence.

If convicted, the suspect could face up to 10 years in jail. His lawyer, Marius Dietrichson, stated that he would plead not guilty.

This arrest comes amid strained Norway-China relations since the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, leading to a trade deal suspension and restricted Norwegian salmon imports by China.