Former security guard at US Embassy overseas is convicted of spying for Russia and Iran
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A former security guard stationed at the U.S. Embassy in Norway has been found guilty of espionage activities for Russia and Iran, according to recent reports.

The individual, a 28-year-old Norwegian, whose name has not been disclosed, received a sentence of three years and seven months on Wednesday, as reported by The Associated Press.

At the time of the individual’s arrest last November, a Norwegian police officer informed Reuters that the suspect was employed at the U.S. Embassy in Oslo, the capital of Norway.

As of Thursday, the State Department had not provided a comment in response to inquiries from Fox News Digital.

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Exterior of U.S. Embassy in Norway building

The main entrance is pictured at the U.S. Embassy in Norway. A former security guard there was sentenced this week for spying for Russia and Iran, a report said. (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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Norway and United States flags on table

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. 

Consular entrance at U.S. Embassy in Norway

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. 

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