Norwegian authorities have criminally charged 20 Indigenous Saami activists for blocking access to several government buildings in protest of the continued operation of wind turbines in the Fosen region. The wind turbine operation takes place on traditional reindeer herding grounds, despite a Norwegian Supreme Court ruling in 2021, which called for an end to the turbines operation, according to statements from the Saami activists’ attorneys.
The specific nature of the charges against the activists has yet to be specified. However, local news outlet VG suggested that the group is being penalised for failing to pay fines relating to their protests.
Protests have been ongoing since the announcement of the Fosen wind turbine project, with activities ramping up throughout 2023, including blockades at the Ministry of Oil and Energy as well as the offices of the government-backed company Statkraft which manages the turbines.
In response to the protests, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held talks with the activists in March 2023 and apologised for the “ongoing violations of human rights”. However, in October, the Minister of Oil and Energy expressed that the demolition of the wind turbines is “not appropriate”, demonstrating a reluctance to completely halt the operation.
The controversy stems from a Norwegian Supreme Court ruling in 2021, which deemed the licences for the Storheia and Roan wind power plants in Fosen to be invalid. The Saami reindeer herders have a right to use the land for cultural purposes under the UN’s International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
This conflict is not unique to Norway. Other Northern European countries have also been under scrutiny for alleged human rights violations against the Saami people, with cases in Finland and Sweden bringing international attention to the plight of this Indigenous community.