Asbjørn Bryhn was the first commander of Police Intelligence Service (POT) (now called Norwegian Police Security Service (PST)) after the war, from 1947 to 1966.
When Bryhn had the Norwegian attachés from Moscow in for questioning in 1959, he wrote a sharp letter to the Foreign Ministry. The diplomat had been photographed by Russian security service when he was almost naked with two young Russians in an apartment. Gay cohabitation were punishable in Norway until 1972.
Police Security Service (PST) has given Norwegian Newspaper Dagbladet access to this letter. It says in part: “When evaluating NN’s (diplomat) aptitude and his future usefulness in the foreign service, there is a number of factors that must be taken into consideration. Some detailed review of his explanation, I consider unnecessary as it is in itself a telling document.
On the basis of all the cases we are now faced, not just here in Norway, but also – in a much greater extent – in a number of other countries, it must be emphasised that people with such inclinations and other weaknesses will inevitably be exposed to demand and pressure so that, whatever your personal integrity, represents a safety hazard as the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs can not incur. ”
Read more at dagbladet.no
