The number of criminal cases against Norwegians who harass politicians online has tripled within one year. Now PST deputy chief Inga Bejer Engh warns that the security service will come to the homes of those who express themselves “badly enough”.

PST currently has nine ongoing criminal cases against individuals who have threatened or harassed politicians online. During the same period last year, the number was three. VG writes this.
Deputy chief Inga Bejer Engh is now signalling a distinctly tougher line.

– If you engage in this on the internet, PST may, as a consequence, come to your home. If what you write is bad enough, you will be followed up with punishment, she says to VG.

– We are obliged to be somewhat hard-handed if we are to stop it.

Previously, PST primarily handled the most serious cases involving the government, the Storting, and the Supreme Court. Now the mandate encompasses more broadly — including members of the central executive committees of political youth parties.

According to VG, it was PST itself that requested extended responsibility from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

– The background was a negative development and a desire to bring more force and seriousness to the work against threats and harassment directed at politicians, says Engh.

When a case is received, investigators and legal professionals first assess whether the expression is punishable. At the same time, the preventive department assesses whether the threat may be carried out.

Threats of violence or murder are covered by Section 263 of the Penal Code. Milder expressions may fall under Section 266 concerning reckless behaviour — which covers “frightening or harassing expressions that go clearly beyond ordinary insults or harsh political criticism”.

In one case, a person received a suspended sentence of 21 days’ imprisonment and a fine of 20,000 kroner for gross, racist, and threatening messages directed at a politician. Among other things, the individual wrote that the politician should be “stoned and buried”. The messages also contained gross sexual threats of violence.

Two other cases resulted in fines of 6,000 kroner for reckless behaviour. In one of them, the sender wrote about a politician that she “belongs best with grass over + stone”. In another, it stated: “injure her for life so that she can neither speak, move her arms, nor walk”.

– The boundary between freedom of expression and punishable expressions can be demanding. But freedom of expression is not a right to harass and threaten people, says Engh.

In its latest threat assessment, PST warns that hatred directed at politicians combined with conspiracy theories may contribute to radicalisation over time. The service is particularly concerned about right-wing extremism and the emergence of anti-state extremism.

– We are not going to sit and wait until we reach the level we are seeing in Sweden, Engh tells VG.

Bejer Engh fears that threats will frighten young people away from politics.

– If this becomes the consequence of expressing oneself publicly, we risk not obtaining the diversity of opinion that we require.