OREANDA-NEWS. The Moscow City Court sentenced a Norwegian citizen, a retired former border guard who served on his country’s frontier with Russia, 63 years old Frode Berg arrested in Moscow in December 2017 to 14 years in a strict regime colony on charges of spying for the Norwegian Intelligence Service.

The case was marked with a top secret stamp and was heard in a closed-door court session. The Norwegian did not recognize himself guilty. Berg’s lawyer, Ilya Novikov, said that his client who was charged with espionage did not know what he was involved to, he was working as a courier for Norwegian intelligence, but did not know that he was receiving classified documents. The Federal Security Service (FSB) insisted that the fact of collecting of secret information by Berg was completely proven.

According to the investigation results, Berg collected information about nuclear submarines of the Russian Navy on the behalf of the Norwegian Intelligence Service. Berg was detained when he received secret information from a Russian citizen who worked at a military enterprise and was controlled by the FSB.

Novikov said that Berg would not appeal against the verdict and would request a pardon from Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin. The lawyer added that his client was used without his knowledge and now he hopes that Norway will make diplomatic efforts.

Earlier Putin said about Berg case: “We are to wait for the court proceedings. We will take a look at what we can do with this depending on the court’s decision.”