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Russia gives ex-cop 13 years in Norwegian spy case
MOSCOW, Dec 11, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – A former Russian police officer accused of
handing documents to an alleged Norwegian spy was on Tuesday sentenced by a
Moscow court to 13 years in prison, news agencies reported.
Alexei Zhitnyuk was arrested for handing files relating to Russia’s navy to
a Norwegian national, Frode Berg, media quoted investigators as saying at the
time of Berg’s arrest in December.
Zhitnyuk will serve his term for treason in a penal colony following the
closed trial, according to Interfax news agency.
Berg remains in custody in Russia awaiting trial, in a case that has added
to diplomatic tensions between Moscow and Oslo.
He was detained in Moscow following a sting operation by the FSB security
service.
Historically good relations between Norway and neighbouring Russia have
soured since the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis in 2014.
Norway announced in 2016 that 330 US Marines would be stationed on rotation
at a location more than 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) from the Russian border.
Russia insisted those plans would do nothing to make northern Europe safer.
Last month, Oslo accused Moscow of jamming GPS signals in Norway’s far
north when it was hosting major NATO exercises this year.
In October Norway arrested a Russian man suspected of spying at the
country’s parliament, but he was released after investigators failed to
convince a judge of their case.
Norwegian intelligence said last year that the country’s foreign ministry,
army and other institutions had been targeted in a cyber attack by a group
suspected of having links to Russian authorities.
BSS/AFP/RY/1852 hrs