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Russian freed from Norwegian custody returns to Moscow

Bochkaryov was welcomed at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport by his son and colleagues

© EPA-EFE/FREDERIK HAGEN

MOSCOW, October 20. /TASS/. Mikhail Bochkaryov, a member of staff of the Russian Federation Council (upper house of parliament), returned to Moscow from Oslo on Saturday after the Norwegian court had ordered to release him from custody.

Bochkaryov was welcomed at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport by his son and colleagues, the upper house’s press service said.

"Mikhail Bochkaryov, a member of staff of the Federation Council, has arrived at Sheremetyevo airport from Oslo. He went through the passport checkpoint," the press service said. "His son and colleagues met him."

Bochkaryov case

Mikhail Bochkaryov was detained at Oslo airport on September 21 and then arrested. According to Norway’s version, the Russian man was allegedly spying with the help of wireless networks during a seminar on digitalization of the European Center for Parliamentary Research and Documentation in the building of Norway’s parliament. Russia’s embassy in Oslo said that the case was based on trumped-up charges.

On October 18, the Norwegian news agency said that the Oslo District Court ordered Bochkaryov’s release. The country’s Police Security Service (PST) lodged an appeal against the court ruling, but then withdrew it.

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