Tingretten skal behandle Myanmar-søksmål mot Telenor

The Asker and Bærum District Courts will handle a class action lawsuit against Telenor, filed by Telenor customers in Myanmar, according to NRK. The class action involves at least 1,253 individuals and pertains to Telenor's transfer of data to the country's military regime. The lawsuit was initiated by the Swedish non-profit organization Justice and Accountability Initiative (JAI) on behalf of the Telenor customers.

Joseph Wilde-Ramsing, the director of policy and society at Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO), which facilitated the lawsuit, told NRK that this is a significant development and feels just. Telenor responded in writing to NRK stating that they disagree with the conditions for the class action lawsuit and intend to review the decision before considering an appeal.

They assert that their employees risked imprisonment, torture, or the death penalty if the military's demands were not met. Telenor's general manager, David Fidjeland, wrote that there is no basis for compensation liability in this case. This week, it was revealed that Telenor is under investigation for possible crimes against humanity related to the company's previous operations in Myanmar.

Both PST and Kripos have initiated separate investigations into the company and conducted a joint raid on the company's headquarters in Fornebu on Tuesday. The basis for the indictments is that from Telenor's Myanmar subsidiary, "historical traffic data of customers was repeatedly provided to the military regime throughout this period, while the regime was responsible for extensive violations against civilians," writes Kripos and PST.