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Putin may consider request for pardoning Norwegian spy Frode Berg

The Moscow city court on Tuesday found Berg guilty of spying against Russia and sentenced him to 14 years in a maximum security penitentiary

Frode Berg Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS

Frode Berg

© Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS

MOSCOW, April 17. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin will consider the possibility of pardoning Norwegian subject Frode Berg, convicted in Russia of spying, should such a request be submitted to the Kremlin in accordance with all necessary procedures, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the media on Wednesday.

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"If such a request is submitted and goes through all stages, we will wait for the head of state to make a decision," Peskov said, adding that there were no special restrictions regarding this particular case.

Peskov recalled that under Russian legislation a convict’s request for pardon was to go through the territorial and regional authorities before being submitted to the Kremlin. After that the head of state makes a decision.

The Moscow city court on Tuesday 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.

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