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Article Body Text<p>A Norwegian man appeared in an Oslo court Tuesday to hear charges of allegedly spying for China, according to Norway’s secret service.</p> <p>“We are in an initial phase. Therefore, we are rather tight-lipped now. We are not going to give many details in the case,” said Thomas Blom, a spokesperson for the agency’s counter-espionage unit.</p> <p>The unidentified man, described only as a “well known” suspect, was arrested Monday at Oslo's Gardermoen Airport upon returning from a trip to China, according to officials, who said he’ll be detained for a minimum of four weeks.</p> <p>Blom said the closed-door trial is based on "attempted" efforts at espionage on behalf of Beijing, and that "data-carrying devices" were "particularly relevant" as evidence in the case.</p> <p>If found guilty, the suspect could face up to 10 years in jail.</p> <p>Marius Dietrichson, the lawyer representing the suspect, said that the man will plead not guilty.</p> <p>The arrest is the latest development in Oslo’s strained relations with Beijing, which were hampered by the Oslo-based Nobel Peace Prize committee’s 2010 decision to award a prize to the late imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo — something over which the Norwegian government has no control.</p> <p>China subsequently suspended a trade deal and limited Norwegian salmon imports.</p>
Content TypeText
LanguageEnglish
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
Subtitles / Dubbing AvailableNo
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateJuly 2, 2024 11:24 EDT
BylineVOA News
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
