Police demands further detention of man held for spying in Norway

A Norwegian court said on Thursday a Russian who is suspected of spying should be released from detention but police filed an appeal against the ruling, his lawyer told Reuters.

Mikhail Bochkaryov was detained on Sept. 21 at Oslo airport before a flight out of the country. He will remain in detention awaiting a decision from the appeals court, attorney Hege Aakre said.

Bochkaryov was suspected of spying at Norway's parliament while attending a seminar on digitalization, police have said.

He has denied any wrongdoing and the Russian foreign ministry has demanded that Norway lift "the absurd charges" and release Bochkaryov, whom it identified as a staff member of the Russian parliament's upper house.

Prosecutors had asked the Oslo District Court to extend the detention for another two weeks.