{"id":145840,"date":"2022-10-31T16:17:06","date_gmt":"2022-10-31T15:17:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=145840"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:26:29","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:26:29","slug":"russian-spy-who-worked-at-norwegian-university-arrested","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2022\/10\/31\/russian-spy-who-worked-at-norwegian-university-arrested\/","title":{"rendered":"Russian spy who worked at Norwegian university arrested"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Russian spy posing as a Brazilian scientist at a Norwegian university was exposed on Monday. He was collecting sensitive military information in the Arctic and will be deported from the country this month.<\/p>\n

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The University of Troms\u00f8. <\/span><\/p>

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Over the past year, the scientist who called himself \u2018Jos\u00e9 Assis Giammaria\u2019 conducted research into military activity in the Arctic. Here, he took aerial photographs with a drone. In reality, however, he turned out to be a Russian who was spying, reports<\/a> The Guardian<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Brazilian papers<\/h2>

The spy was arrested by the Norwegian police on Monday. In the ruling of the Ministry of Justice, according to the Norwegian security service, he had a secret mandate from the Russian government to collect information on military activities and the investigators who were charting them. He also allegedly entered Norway with false Brazilian papers.<\/p>\n

Giammaria\u2019s lawyer denies the accusations and says that his client \u2018does not understand the claims\u2019. The man is currently still in jail, but the Norwegian police has announced that he would be deported during the coming month.<\/p>\n

Friendly colleague<\/h2>

Giammaria had been working at the Faculty of Security Studies at the University of Troms\u00f8 since December. He gave lectures and conducted research. His colleagues described him as friendly and reserved. He stood out mainly because he constantly asked questions, did not use social media and had a strange accent.<\/p>\n

Professor Gunhild Hoogensen Gj\u00f8rv had appointed him on the recommendation of a Canadian scientist with whom Giammaria had conducted similar research for his thesis. Gj\u00f8rv finds the situation ironic, as she says to The Guardian. \u201cWe ourselves have now become part of what we are always investigating, namely threats to national security.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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