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Kremlin says Norwegian Frode Berg’s petition for pardon will be considered

It is more than likely that the document has not been received yet, the Kremlin spokesman said

Frode Berg Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS

Frode Berg

© Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS

MOSCOW, October 25. /TASS/. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has assured that the application for pardon from Norwegian citizen Frode Berg convicted in Russia of spying will be considered, but it is more than likely that the document has not been received yet.

"[The petition for pardon] may have not been received yet, because that takes some time," he told reporters on Friday.

Read also

Situation with Norwegian citizen jailed in Russia does not affect bilateral ties — Lavrov

"When it is received in accordance with the established procedures, the [pardon] commission will consider it and submit its recommendation to the head of state," Peskov promised.

On April 16, the Moscow City Court found Frode Berg guilty of spying against Russia and sentenced him to 14 years in a maximum security penitentiary. Berg had been gathering information about Russian nuclear submarines, which he obtained from a Defense Industry employee acting under the control of special services. The prosecutor said Berg worked for the Norwegian intelligence service for cash remuneration.

On October 25, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested that the consideration of Berg’s petition for pardon would not take much time.

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