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Norwegian spy arrested in Moscow for espionage against Russia

A Moscow court gave the go-ahead to arrest Norwegian national, Frode Berg, accused of espionage

© Vitaliy Nevar/TASS

MOSCOW, December 19. /TASS/. Moscow’s Lefortovo District Court gave the go-ahead to arrest Norwegian national, Frode Berg, accused of espionage, Yekaterina Krasnova, a court spokesperson, informed TASS on Tuesday.

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"The court satisfied the prosecutors’ motion imposing to remand the defendant Berg in custody until February 5, 2018," she said. Charges were filed against him under Section 276 of Russia’s Criminal Code ("Espionage").

According to the spokesperson, the court received an appeal against this decision. However, the date for the court hearing in Moscow City Court has still not been set.

According to media reports, FSB officers detained Frode Berg in Moscow during a special operation where classified documents illegitimately changed hands. Investigators believe that a Russian citizen, Alexey Zhitnyuk, who is accused of high treason (Section 275 of Russia’s Criminal Code) handed over documents on the Russian Navy to Berg. The Lefortovo District Court handed down an order to arrest Zhitnyuk in late November.

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