OSLO, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- A Russian citizen who had been detained in Norway on suspicion of spying was released Friday after the police withdrew its appeal against his release, local media reported.
Mikhail Bochkarev, 51, was let out of a prison in Oslo Friday noon and was then driven to the Russian embassy, public broadcaster NRK reported on its website.
The Norwegian Police Security Service (PST), which had withdrawn its appeal earlier Friday, said it is still going to investigate the case and some technical investigations remain, but Bochkarev is free to go home.
"He has no restrictions and can travel home to Moscow," police attorney Kathrine Tonstad told newspaper Aftenposten. "There is still a lot of technical investigations left."
The Oslo District Court ruled Thursday that Bochkarev should be released, but he had to remain in detention while awaiting a decision on the appeal filed by police.
Bochkarev was arrested on Sept. 21 at Oslo airport and charged with a breach of section 121 of the Criminal Code that includes illegal intelligence activities against state secrets.
He had attended an international seminar on digitalization at the Norwegian parliament. The seminar was organized by the European Center for Parliamentary Research and Documentation (ECPRD) and was attended by 79 administrative staff members in parliaments from more than 30 countries.
The behavior of Bochkarev, identified as a staff employee of the Russian parliament, aroused the suspicion of Norwegian parliamentary employees, public broadcaster NRK reported in September.
However, according to the Oslo District Court, there is no longer any reason to suspect the Russian for espionage.
The Russian Foreign Ministry demanded on Thursday that Bochkarev be immediately released after the Oslo District Court ruled against extending his arrest citing the absence of proof, according to Russia's Sputnik news agency.
"We once again demand an immediate release of M.A. Bochkarev and lifting of all fake accusations against him. It is obvious that the PST has no proof of Bochkarev's made-up guilt," the ministry said in a statement.
