Trial and conviction of Arne Treholt
Encyclopedia
The trial and conviction of Arne Treholt
in 1985 resulted in a verdict of a 20-year prison sentence, and confiscation of 1.1 million Norwegian crown
s.
Treholt was arrested on 20 January 1984 at Fornebu
airport by Ørnulf Tofte
and other police officers. During a later police interrogation, Treholt admitted to having turned over classified documents to representatives of the USSR, and he admitted to receiving money from those representatives. According to Treholt, Gennadij Titov had given him money to cover Treholt's expenses for travel and accommodation when they met in Vienna and Helsinki
.
During the trial the prosecutor presented photos of US currency
inside Treholt's briefcase — photos that were obtained during a secret police search of Treholt's apartment prior to arrest. Treholt claimed that money found in his apartment in 1983 was the winnings from a casino in Vienna.
Eidsivating lagmannsrett, handed down sentence on 20 June 1985. He was convicted of treason and espionage benefiting the USSR and Iraq
.
Treholt has struggled for years to have his case reviewed. His requests have twice been turned down by the Supreme Court of Norway and in 2008 by the Criminal Cases Review Commission. In connection with the publishing of a book written by the prosecutor who handled the case before the Commission, the Police Security Service in August 2009 presented some new photos from the investigation. A 2010 book (Forfalskningen) claimed that some of the photo evidence presented in the trial was fabricated by police investigators.
Ørnulf Tofte
informed the Norwegian Prosecuting Authority
(påtalemyndigheten) that "electronic surveillance" had been installed in the apartment prior to Treholt's arrest, according to the Verdens Gang
newspaper of September 2010. The Norwegian Police Security Service (Politiets Overvåkingstjeneste) conducted illegal video surveillance inside the apartment for 18 months prior to the arrest of Treholt, according to media reports in September 2010.
Politiets Sikkerhetstjeneste
stated that pictures they published in 2009 were not all from the secret search of Treholt's previous apartment, according to Verdens Gang, October 4, 2010.
On 9 June 2011, the commission decided that the Arne Treholt criminal case would not be reopened. Based on interviews with 29 witnesses (18 of which were former police investigators who had been involved in the Treholt-investigation) as well as forensic studies of photographs, negatives and documents, the commission unanimously concluded that there was no basis to suggest that evidence against Treholt had been tampered with or had been fabricated. In a 59-page document, the commission completely discounted the allegations made in the 2010 book (Forfalskningen).
has denied Norwegian media access to audio recordings from the trial, was reported on November 22, 2011. (Previously, in August 2011, the Government was ordered to give the press a copy of all audio recordings from the Treholt trial's open hearings(åpen rett), as ordered by a verdict in Oslo District Court
.)
Arne Treholt
Arne Treholt is a former Norwegian Labour Party politician and diplomat convicted of high treason and espionage on behalf of the Soviet Union and Iraq during the Cold War. Treholt's espionage is generally seen as the most serious spy case in the modern history of Norway...
in 1985 resulted in a verdict of a 20-year prison sentence, and confiscation of 1.1 million Norwegian crown
Norwegian krone
The krone is the currency of Norway and its dependent territories. The plural form is kroner . It is subdivided into 100 øre. The ISO 4217 code is NOK, although the common local abbreviation is kr. The name translates into English as "crown"...
s.
Treholt was arrested on 20 January 1984 at Fornebu
Fornebu
Fornebu is a peninsular area in the suburban municipality of Bærum in Norway, bordering western parts of Oslo.Oslo Airport, Fornebu served as the main airport for Oslo and the country since before WWII and until the evening of October 7, 1998, when it was closed down...
airport by Ørnulf Tofte
Ørnulf Tofte
Ørnulf Tofte is a Norwegian former police officer.He was central in the Norwegian intelligence service during most of the Cold War, and served as head of counter-intelligence....
and other police officers. During a later police interrogation, Treholt admitted to having turned over classified documents to representatives of the USSR, and he admitted to receiving money from those representatives. According to Treholt, Gennadij Titov had given him money to cover Treholt's expenses for travel and accommodation when they met in Vienna and Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
.
During the trial the prosecutor presented photos of US currency
Currency
In economics, currency refers to a generally accepted medium of exchange. These are usually the coins and banknotes of a particular government, which comprise the physical aspects of a nation's money supply...
inside Treholt's briefcase — photos that were obtained during a secret police search of Treholt's apartment prior to arrest. Treholt claimed that money found in his apartment in 1983 was the winnings from a casino in Vienna.
Eidsivating lagmannsrett, handed down sentence on 20 June 1985. He was convicted of treason and espionage benefiting the USSR and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
After sentencing
After serving eight years and five months of his 20-year sentence, he was pardoned on health grounds.Rolleiv Solholm, "Denies fabrication of evidence", Norway Post, 10 September 2010. Retrieved 10 September 2010Treholt has struggled for years to have his case reviewed. His requests have twice been turned down by the Supreme Court of Norway and in 2008 by the Criminal Cases Review Commission. In connection with the publishing of a book written by the prosecutor who handled the case before the Commission, the Police Security Service in August 2009 presented some new photos from the investigation. A 2010 book (Forfalskningen) claimed that some of the photo evidence presented in the trial was fabricated by police investigators.
Ørnulf Tofte
Ørnulf Tofte
Ørnulf Tofte is a Norwegian former police officer.He was central in the Norwegian intelligence service during most of the Cold War, and served as head of counter-intelligence....
informed the Norwegian Prosecuting Authority
Norwegian Prosecuting Authority
Norwegian Prosecuting Authority is a body subordinate to the Norwegian Council of State.This body is responsible for legal prosecutions in Norway. It is divided into three branches. The third branch is the Prosecuting Authority in the Police. The first two, the Office of the Director of Public...
(påtalemyndigheten) that "electronic surveillance" had been installed in the apartment prior to Treholt's arrest, according to the Verdens Gang
Verdens Gang
Verdens Gang , generally known under the abbreviation VG, is a Norwegian tabloid newspaper...
newspaper of September 2010. The Norwegian Police Security Service (Politiets Overvåkingstjeneste) conducted illegal video surveillance inside the apartment for 18 months prior to the arrest of Treholt, according to media reports in September 2010.
Politiets Sikkerhetstjeneste
Politiets sikkerhetstjeneste
The Norwegian Police Security Service is the police security agency of Norway, somewhat comparable to the British MI5. The agency was previously known as POT , the name change was dictated by the Parliament of Norway on 2 June 2001.The service was established in 1936 or 1937...
stated that pictures they published in 2009 were not all from the secret search of Treholt's previous apartment, according to Verdens Gang, October 4, 2010.
On 9 June 2011, the commission decided that the Arne Treholt criminal case would not be reopened. Based on interviews with 29 witnesses (18 of which were former police investigators who had been involved in the Treholt-investigation) as well as forensic studies of photographs, negatives and documents, the commission unanimously concluded that there was no basis to suggest that evidence against Treholt had been tampered with or had been fabricated. In a 59-page document, the commission completely discounted the allegations made in the 2010 book (Forfalskningen).
Media's access to audio recordings of the trial
That an appellate courtBorgarting Court of Appeal
Borgarting Court of Appeal is the court of appeal located in Oslo, Norway. It serves the counties of Oslo, Buskerud, Østfold and southern Akershus. The court has 62 judges and 45 administrative staff...
has denied Norwegian media access to audio recordings from the trial, was reported on November 22, 2011. (Previously, in August 2011, the Government was ordered to give the press a copy of all audio recordings from the Treholt trial's open hearings(åpen rett), as ordered by a verdict in Oslo District Court
Oslo District Court
Oslo District Court is the district court serving Oslo, Norway. Cases may be appealed to Borgarting Court of Appeal. As the largest district court in Norway, it handles about 20% of all cases in the country...
.)