Russia jails Norwegian for spying on submarines

A Moscow court has sentenced Frode Berg, a retired Norwegian border guard, to 14 years in a high security prison for spying on Russian Navy submarines, his lawyer said on Tuesday.

Berg, who was arrested in Moscow in 2017, denied the allegation. He admitted acting as a courier for Norwegian intelligence, but said he had little knowledge of the mission, the BBC reported.

Berg's lawyer Ilya Novikov said his client would not appeal against the verdict but would seek a pardon from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

A Russian ex-policeman accused of passing him Navy files had also been jailed.

Norway -- a Nato member -- shares an Arctic border with Russia and for decades their relations were amicable. But ties have worsened since 2014, when Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula.

--IANS

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