Norwegian police have launched an investigation into telecommunications company Telenor over suspected involvement in crimes against humanity following Myanmar’s military coup in 2021.
Investigators from Norway’s National Criminal Investigation Service (NCIS) and the Police Security Service (PST) raided Telenor’s headquarters in Oslo on Tuesday as part of the probe, according to a joint statement from the agencies.
Norwegian police said Telenor had handed over customers’ historical traffic data to Myanmar’s military authorities at a time when the junta was carrying out widespread repression and abuses against civilians.
Telenor withdrew from Myanmar after the February 2021 military coup and completed the sale of its operations there in March 2022. The company said it was cooperating closely with the investigation.
The case follows a complaint filed earlier this year by a Swedish non-profit organisation. The complaint alleges that Telenor shared call logs and location data of people suspected by Myanmar’s military of being political opponents. It also claims that the disclosure contributed to the execution of at least one prominent activist.
Telenor has rejected the suggestion that it willingly facilitated abuses, saying it was placed in an “impossible situation” following the coup.
In a statement cited by Reuters, the company said Myanmar’s military takeover was a tragedy for the country’s people and that refusing military orders could have exposed its employees to imprisonment, torture or execution.
Telenor also said that no individual had been charged or placed under investigation in connection with the case.
Surveillance equipment also under investigation
Norwegian police said the investigation also concerns the transfer of surveillance equipment subject to sanctions during Telenor’s withdrawal from Myanmar.
Authorities are examining whether Telenor transferred the equipment without obtaining the required approval from Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Yadanar Maung, a spokesperson for Justice For Myanmar, welcomed the Norwegian police investigation. The organisation worked with the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) to provide documents to Norwegian investigators.
Maung said the material submitted to the police included details about the alleged transfer of spyware to a company linked to Myanmar’s military and the exchange of sensitive information.
Justice For Myanmar said it hoped the investigation would ultimately establish accountability for Telenor’s actions and the alleged harm caused to people in Myanmar during the company’s withdrawal from the country.
Reuters said it sought comment from Myanmar’s government and the Myanmar embassy in Oslo but had not received an immediate response.
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