Thomas Nilsen

European court rules Russia violated Arkhangelsk activist's rights

The European Court of Human Rights found that Russian authorities had violated Ivan Moseev's rights to freedom of expression.
March 03, 2022

As fear of a new Iron Curtain looms, Murmansk region tops Google search for «emigration»

Tight travel restrictions for Russians on land, in air, and at sea. A new iron curtain is falling in Europe.
March 02, 2022

Norway considering banning Russian ships from ports

Canada and the UK have already imposed a ban on Russian-owned, operated, chartered, registered or flagged vessels from docking at ports. Now, the European Union and Norway could follow.
March 02, 2022

Will oil get stuck in Murmansk as markets reduces purchases from Russia?

UK bans Russian oil tankers from ports and refineries in the European Union greatly reduces purchases out of Murmansk.
March 02, 2022

Fishing organization tells members to avoid Russian waters

The risk of encountering trouble is too big, the interest organization of Norwegian fishing boat owners says.
March 01, 2022

Exit Russia for Norway’s Sovereign Wealth Fund, divesting order given

The Norwegian Central Bank freezes all investments in Russia, awaiting a plan to sell all shares.
February 28, 2022

University in Tromsø retracts Lavrov’s honorary doctorate

The decision was taken during an extraordinary board meeting on Monday.
February 28, 2022

United in call for peace on frozen border to Russia

Different nationality backgrounds, but united in a call for Putin to end the war. Norwegians, Russians and Ukrainians marched in protest towards the border on the Pasvik River.
February 28, 2022

Norwegian Coast Guard, Police took action against luxury yacht of Putin friend

The yacht “Ragnar” was ransacked at port in Narvik, next to where the Norwegian-led large-scale NATO exercise will take place in March and April.
February 28, 2022

Equinor exits Russia

After 30 years with oil-hungry eyes on Russia's Arctic regions, the Norwegian oil major has decided to stop all new investments and start the process of exiting Russian joint ventures.
February 28, 2022

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Thomas Nilsen is editor of the Independent Barents Observer with its news desk located in Kirkenes, northern Norway. He has a long experience in media cooperation across the borders in the high north of Europe, both as radio- and newspaper reporter all the way back to the days before the breakup of the Soviet Union. 

Nilsen has been editor of Barents Observer since 2009.

He was Deputy Head of the Norwegian Barents Secretariat from 2004-2009. Until 2003, he worked 12 years for the Bellona Foundation’s Russian study group, focusing on nuclear safety issues and general environmental challenges in northern areas and the Arctic. 

Thomas has been traveling extensively across northern Scandinavia and Arctic Russia since the late 80’s working for different media and organizations. He is also a guide at sea and in remote locations in the Russian north for various groups and regularly lectures on security issues, environmental and socio-economic development.

Thomas Nilsen studied at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

Mobile: +47-90573143

thomas@thebarentsobserver.com
@nilsen.thomas