Norwegian citizen detained in Russia
The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that a man from Norway’s border region has been detained by Russian law enforcement authorities.
“We are aware that a Norwegian citizen has been arrested in Russia, and we are working to establish contact and provide practical assistance,” said communications adviser Mariken Bruusgaard Harbitz at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The news was first reported by the newspaper iFinnmark. According to the newspaper, the man is living in Sør-Varanger, the municipality bordering Russia’s Murmansk region.
Few details are currently available, and Russian local media in the Murmansk region has for now not mentioned the news.
The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has since 2022 advised Norwegian citizens against travelling to Russia. However, some people still travel there, particularly those with dual citizenship, Norwegian and Russian.
It is not known where in Russia the person is detained. Norway’s diplomatic mission in Murmansk was closed in 2022. The Consulate General in St. Petersburg is still open. So is the Norwegian Embassy in Moscow.
Related stories from around the North:
Finland: Finland hails plan for allies to join NATO land forces in North, The Independent Barents Observer
Iceland: High peak in low season, Iceland’s mass-tourism boiling over, The Independent Barents Observer
Norway: Russia snubs Norway with nature reserve opening, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Sweden urges EU to tighten rules on tourist visas for Russians, Thomson Reuters
