politics
Northern Norwegian Citizen Arrested in Russia
A man with Norwegian citizenship residing in Sør-Varanger Municipality close to the Russian border, has been arrested by Russian authorities.
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"We are aware that a Norwegian citizen has been arrested in Russia and are working to make contact to offer practical help", says Mariken Bruusgaard Harbitz, senior communications advisor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to IFinnmark.
The man is supposedly a resident of Sør-Varanger, and a local business owner. Sør-Varanger municipality lies in the Norwegian Arctic and borders to Finland to the west and Russia to the southeast.
The ministry writes To IFinnmark that the the Norwegian embassy in Russia has limited opportunities to assist Norwegian citizens in Russia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against all travel to Russia.
The Norwegian man is represented by a Norwegian law firm. According to Dagbladet, they do not wish to comment on what the Norwegian is charged with in Russia.
"I can confirm that we are assisting a Norwegian citizen from Kirkenes who has been arrested in Murmansk", lawyer Farid Bouras with Elden law firm tells Dagbladet.
The man is charged with possession of weapons. It is unclear whether it is the Russian police or the FSB security police that have arrested and charged the businessman. Dagbladet is informed that the man was arrested in Murmansk several days ago.
Sources in Kirkenes confirm to Dagbladet that the businessman has regularly traveled from Sør-Varanger to the Russian border town of Nikkel.
Norway and Russia still have a visa-free travel arrangement for people living less than 30 kilometres from the border on both sides. That includes Kirkenes and most of Sør-Varanger municipality on the Norwegian side.
