OSLO – A Norwegian court on Friday sentenced a former minister’s partner to 20 months in prison after she was found guilty of jeopardizing the country’s democracy by making threats and vandalizing her own house and car in an attempt to show that the couple’s privacy had been invaded by a theatrical production.
The defendant, Anita Laila Bertheussen, is a partner of former right-wing Minister of Justice Tor Mikkel Wara. She was found guilty of sending anonymous threats to Mr. Wara and another minister, of painting her own house and car with the word “racist” and a swastika, and later of setting the car on fire – all to prove her false claim of that the couple was under attack.
Eirin Eikefjord, the political editor who covered the case for the daily Bergens Tidende, said: “It is an extraordinary case, some would say crazy, that has shaped conversations about what those in power in Norway think of it.”
Bertheussen’s campaign started after a play in November 2018 at an Oslo theater. The play featured images of the house where she lived with Mr. Wara, along with images of the homes of other politicians that the production accused of fostering racist attitudes in Norway. The play, dubbed “Modes de Ver”, aimed to map “the networks that are interested in making Norway a more racist society”, as described on the theater website.
Although “Ways of Seeing” did not display the addresses of the houses, the production sparked a debate about freedom of expression and how far artists can go with political commentary.
Mrs. Bertheussen was evidently furious. “They call it art, I call it a gross invasion of my privacy,” she wrote in an opinion article in the VG newspaper in December 2018.
Then things got darker. Mrs. Bertheussen filed a complaint against the theater company after a swastika and the word “racist” were painted in her home, which was later placed under police surveillance. Wara and another minister received more threats, prompting Prime Minister Erna Solberg to criticize the theater company for endangering authorities.
The threats continued. In January 2019, a fire was started in a trash can outside the home of Mrs. Bertheussen and Mr. Wara; in March of that year, his car was set on fire.
Then a twist came: Mrs. Bertheussen was arrested and accused of staging the arson herself. Mr. Wara promptly resigned from the Ministry of Justice.
At the Bertheussen trial, which began in September, the court heard how a trail of evidence led investigators to suspect that Bertheussen was behind the attacks.
Calligraphy experts testified that some of the threatening letters and graffiti in the house matched Bertheussen’s writing, and a red pen that was apparently used to draw the swastika was found inside.
A postage stamp booklet was also found in the house with several missing. The lost stamps correspond to those used to send letters to Wara and another minister, prosecutors said.
The court also heard how a cellphone application that tracked Ms. Bertheussen’s movements also revealed that she was active the night investigators believe graffiti was painted at the couple’s home.
Marit Formo, a prosecutor, said: “The objective was to make it believe that someone in the play or who sympathized with her was behind these acts.”
The trial was broadcast live on Norwegian television, captivating attention not only because of the unusual details, but also because of Bertheussen’s conduct. Sometimes she carried hand-made bags with printed messages, including one that displayed a medical code that indicated a personality disorder.
During the trial, Ms. Bertheussen pleaded not guilty to charges of committing fraud, making threats and engaging in criminal activities that hinder the country’s activity, often referred to in Norway as an attack on democracy, insisting, “Everything is coincidence. ” She was found guilty of all but one accusation and said she would appeal the decision.
Prosecutors requested a two-year prison sentence.
Henrik Pryser Libell reported from Oslo and Elian Peltier from London.