Norway detains university lecturer as suspected Russian spy

Norway’s domestic security agency has detained a man who entered the country as a Brazilian citizen but is suspected of being a Russian spy.

A local court has ordered him held for four weeks. Martin Bernsen, a spokesman for the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) confirmed a suspected spy had been detained and said the case was “huge” but did not give further details.

In a statement, Arctic University of Norway administrator Jorgen Fossland said the person in question was “a guest lecturer” at the school. Mr Fossland referred other questions to the security service.

The man was detained on Monday in the Arctic city of Tromsoe, where the university is located. PST deputy chief Hedvig Moe said the man is “a Brazilian citizen, but we believe he, in reality, is Russian”.

The detained man’s lawyer, Thomas Hansen, told Norwegian newspaper VG his client denies any wrongdoing. On Tuesday, he was ordered to be held for four weeks, VG reported.

Investigators think he was in Nato member Norway under a false name and identity while working for one of Russia’s intelligence services, Ms Moe said. He will be expelled from the Scandinavian country “because we believe he represents a threat to fundamental national interests”.

The security service “is concerned that he may have acquired information about Norway’s policy in the northern region,” Ms Moe said.

“He has a network and the information which bit by bit are not a threat to the security of the kingdom, but we are worried that the information could be misused by Russia. We do not want this to fall into the hands of the Russians,” she said.

The university lecturer was apprehended Monday on his way to his job, Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported. Ms Moe said it was local police who detained him.

He arrived in Norway in 2021, and has researched the northern regions and hybrid threats, Norwegian media said.

Ms Moe told NRK the Norwegian agency collaborated with other unspecified countries’ security services. The man had travelled to other countries, including Canada, she said.

Several Russian citizens have been detained in Norway in recent weeks. They include three men and a woman who were seen allegedly taking photographs in central Norway of objects covered by a photography ban. They have since been released.