Russian Maxim, convicted of illegal drone flying in Norway, has been released.
NRK is informed about this by the prosecutor Marit Formo.
The 34-year-old then served 45 of the 90 days he was sentenced to.
Formo says they chose to release him because two other Russians were recently acquitted of similar charges. One of them is Andrey Yakunin.
– Maxim has almost finished his period. The fact that Yacunin was acquitted yesterday and another Russian today means that his case will suffer. So I think it is right that he is released now.
Also, there is one more Russian drone pilot released today.
Cases of Russians signed on to fly drones in Norway received a lot of media attention this fall.
A total of four Russian nationals have been prosecuted for illegally flying a drone over Norwegian soil.
In a short time, everything changed.
From prosecution and judgment in individual cases – to all four now free or acquitted.
Convicted of illegal drone flight
Maxim, 34, was arrested in Ullensvang municipality in October.
Then he had flown a drone to different places in Western Norway.
He himself said that he didn’t know it was illegal and that he was there as a tourist.
However, the Hordaland District Court found that he had broken the law because Russians are not allowed to fly to Norway and he was sentenced to 90 days in prison.
This is the drone with which the Russian, now accused of drone, took photos and videos in Norway.
Drone image taken above the pulpit in Rogaland.
Image of the landscape taken by the drone of the Russian.
Panoramic image taken from the air.
– Equal treatment is important
Formo represented the state in the case against Maxim and Russian-Israeli Vitaly Rustanovich, convicted of flying drones by the Oslo District Court in November. The latter was also released today.
– Different district courts have now come to different results. It’s important to have equal treatment in these cases, so I’ll wait for the appellate court for clarification, Formo says.
The prosecutor in the case against Yacunin has already filed an appeal. Rustanovich, who was sentenced to 120 days in jail but was released, has already reopened the case.
When cases are appealed, they go to the Court of Appeals and then to the Supreme Court. It is from there that Formo believes the final interpretation of the law should come.
The Hordaland District Court took a cue from the fact that the fine that applies to flying in Norway also applies to small recreational drones. The district court of Nord-Troms and Senja disagrees.
– On this we must have a clarification, says Formo.
Advokatforeningen: – Unsustainable with different treatment
Marius Dietrichson, leader of the Bar Association’s advocacy group, also believes that rapid clarification is needed on how the law should be interpreted.
– If it is true that cases are treated differently, but on the same basis, it is not tenable, he says.
So far, four Russians have been arrested and charged with flying a drone in Norway.
- Maxim, 34, received the diaper sentenced to 90 days in prison by the Hordaland District Court. He did not appeal the sentence, but was released 45 days after his conviction.
- Russian-Israeli Vitaly Rustanovich was sentenced to 120 days in prison by the Oslo District Court. He appealed and continued let’s leave the days with return agreement for any appeal negotiations.
- The 47-year-old businessman Andrey Yakunin was acquitted of the District Court of Nord-Troms and Senja after flying a drone during a sailing trip to Svalbard this summer. The prosecutor said he will appeal the verdict.
- A 50 year old man stayed in the same district court acquitted after flying a drone at Kirkenes in October.
