A man arrested in Norway who is suspected of being a Russian spy has ties to Canada.
Norwegian authorities arrested Jose Assis Giammaria on Monday on suspicion of being an “illegal,” which is a term that describes a spy operating with a false identity.
Police allege Giammaria, described as a Brazilian researcher in Norwegian press, is actually Russian and works for a Russian intelligence service.
His lawyer, Thomas Hansen, told Verdens Gang AS news agency in Norway that Giammaria denies the accusations and is in shock.
A 2015 convocation program from Ottawa’s Carleton University shows Jose Assis Giammaria graduated with a honours bachelor of arts in political science with a concentration in international relations and a minor in communications studies.
The University of Calgary said in a statement that he also attended the Alberta school and graduated in the fall of 2018 with a master of strategic studies, a degree program that shares content with programs in political science, history and international relations.
“Students in this program are taught by professors and instructors–not military professionals–to build a well-rounded understanding of the drivers of military, security and strategic decision-making,” said the statement.
“No access to information is provided that any other student in any other program wouldn’t have.”
The university referred any other questions to the federal government.
