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Denmark charges Russian with spying for Moscow

Danish prosecutors said Wednesday they were charging a Russian citizen resident in Denmark with spying for Moscow's intelligence service, passing on energy technology secrets in particular.

Published: 9 December 2020 17:29 CET

Denmark charges Russian with spying for Moscow

File photo: Niels Christian Vilmann/Ritzau Scanpix

The Danish Prosecution Service said the man, who has been in detention since early July, would be tried at a date to be determined, likely behind closed doors.

“The accused… is suspected of having provided information on, among other things, Danish energy technologies for a Russian intelligence service for payment,” the Prosecution Service said in a statement.

Russia's embassy in Denmark said it expected the accused to be cleared of the charges.

“The Russian embassy considers the arrest of our compatriot and charges against him as a mistake and counts on the impartial approach of the Danish justice to this case,” the embassy said in a statement.

Under Danish law, the accused, whose age and occupation have not been revealed, faces up to six years in prison.

The Prosecution Service added that it will also seek to have the man expelled from the country.

READ ALSO: US accused of spying on Danish and European defence industries

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Today in Norway: A roundup of the latest news on Monday

Oslo Operahus. Photo by Arvid Malde on Unsplash

Norwegian government to unveil more details around Covid certificate

On Monday, the government will issue guidelines on how exactly its Covid-19 certificate will be used domestically.

At 3pm, the government will hold a press conference where they will reveal more about how the Covid-19 certificates will work.

The certificate launched on Friday, but so far, the government have been sparing with details on how it will be used.

READ MORE: Explained: How to access Norway’s Covid-19 certificate

They have, however, revealed the certificate would be used for access to large events as well as tours and cruises within Norway.

We will have all the details on how the certificate will be used covered in an article later today.

Ministry of Defence: No signs of espionage

There is no evidence to suggest that Danish data cables were used to actively spy on Norwegian politicians by the US, Defence Minister Frank Bakke Jensen has told parliament.

At the end of May, Danmarks Radio reported that the US used Danish data cables to spy on politicians across Europe.

“These are serious allegations that the government takes very seriously. Based on what we know, it does not look like there has been activity (espionage) directed at Norwegian politicians,” Jensen said in a statement.

READ MORE: Norway summons US embassy top official over spying claims

“Systematic espionage is completely unacceptable. We are clear to the Danish and American authorities about this. We are also in active dialogue with Danish and American authorities and services about the information regarding this matter,” he added.

One in ten Norwegians plan summer holiday abroad

Only ten percent of respondents to a new survey have said they plan on going on holiday abroad this summer.

According to the survey by employer organisation, Virke, the majority, 60 percent, said that their travel plans have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Fewer children are being adopted from abroad in Norway

In 2020, 46 children were adopted from abroad in Norway, half the number of foreign adoptions compared to 2019.

According to new figures from Statistics Norway, the number of foreign children being adopted in Norway is also less than 10 percent of what it was in 1998 when 795 foreign adoptions were registered.

A total of 243 adoptions were recorded in Norway last year, almost 100 less than the year before.

One of the reasons fewer foreign children are being adopted is that countries that have previously released children for adoption abroad can now take care of these children themselves, according to Statistics Norway.

96 new coronavirus cases

On Sunday, 96 new cases of Covid-19 were registered in Norway, 89 fewer than the seven-day average of 185.

Fewer cases tend to be registered on weekends and public holidays than on weekdays.

The R-number or reproduction rate in Norway is currently 0.9. This means that every ten people that are infected will, on average, only infect another nine people, indicating that the infection level is declining.

Total number of Covid-19 cases in Norway. Source: NIPH

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