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Protest over detention of Russian in Oslo lodged with Norway's ambassador to Moscow

The Russian foreign ministry called the allegations against the Russian citizen 'absurd'

MOSCOW, September 24. /TASS/. Norwegian Ambassador to Russia Rune Resaland was summoned to the Russian foreign ministry on Monday to be presented with a strong protest over the detention of a Russian national in Oslo.

"On September 24, the Russian foreign ministry summoned Norwegian Ambassador to Russian Rune Resaland to lodge a strong protest over the detention of a Russian national at Oslo’s airport and his placement under arrest on false espionage charges," the Russian foreign ministry said on Monday. "The ministry demanded explanations be given over the incident, absurd charges be withdrawn and the man be released."

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According to the Russian foreign ministry, Bochkarev is an employee of the administration of Russia’s Federation Council upper parliament house and visited Norway at the invitation of the European Center for Parliamentary Research and Documentation to take part in an international seminar. "It was a public event, with delegates from parliaments of dozens of world nations taking part," the ministry noted. "We can only guess why the very fact of the presence of a Russian representative led to such a provocation."

"It looks like the wave of a spy hysteria campaign against Russia, including imposed from abroad, is taking on appalling forms in Norway. Naturally, such steps will not remain unanswered," the ministry stressed.

The ministry also said that the consular department of the Russian embassy in Oslo is offering Bochkarev "all possible assistance in protecting his legal rights and interests.".

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