Norwegian activist “Charter-Svein” condemns police after charges dropped for “inhumane treatment”

The case against Norwegian activist Svein “Charter-Svein” Østvik and three other men, arrested outside a child welfare institution in Bærum last December, has been dropped due to insufficient evidence, Dagbladet reports. Østvik has strongly criticised the police, accusing them of lying and subjecting a mother to “inhumane treatment” during the incident.

Østvik and the three men—Rino Greven Tollefsen, Kevin Simensen, and Habib Ishaq—were detained on suspicion of “reckless behaviour” after arriving to support a mother seeking contact with her son at the institution. Police held them overnight at Grønland police station in Oslo before releasing them.

“We were neither loud nor threatening,” Østvik told Dagbladet. “A desperate mother was treated cruelly—this doesn’t belong in a democracy.” He claimed police deceived the woman, promising her a meeting with her son before arresting her instead.

The Oslo Police District confirmed the case was dropped “due to the state of evidence,” without further comment. A separate investigation into the men for alleged illegal firearm possession was also dismissed, with authorities stating “no criminal offence is considered proven.”

Tollefsen, who has previously clashed with police, called the arrests unjustified: “We stood quietly on a public road. Suddenly, seven or eight police cars arrived.” The group alleges systematic harassment by authorities.

The child welfare institution involved, operated by Stendi AS, declined to comment beyond acknowledging the report. Police have not responded to requests for a statement.