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Russian teenager caught with explosive device in Oslo sentenced to nine months behind bars

The court came to the conclusion that the Russian had plotted to detonate a small bomb, consisting of a container of lighter gas with nails taped around it, in downtown Oslo

© REUTERS/Gwladys Fouche

OSLO, October 30. /TASS/. The Oslo District Court has sentenced a 17-year-old Russian, who was detained in the Norwegian capital in spring carrying an improvised explosive device, to nine months in prison, the Nettavisen online newspaper reported citing the court’s decision. The teenager may be released in two months as he has been in custody since April.

The court came to the conclusion that the Russian had plotted to detonate a small bomb, consisting of a container of lighter gas with nails taped around it, in downtown Oslo. The court also took notice of his interest in the activities of the Islamic State terror group (outlawed in Russia), as well as of the fact that he had been in contact with supporters of Islamic extremist ideas. The judge did not believe the teenager’s claims that he had made the bomb out of mere interest, planning to detonate it in a deserted place.

According to the Norwegian Police Security Service, the youth and his family came to Norway from Russia’s North Caucasus in 2010 and applied for asylum. On April 8, 2017, he was detained in connection with an explosive device found near a parking lot in Oslo. De-miners carried out a controlled explosion of the device.

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