Osvald Harjo (30 September 1910 – 20 April 1993) was a Norwegian resistance member during World War II, and a prisoner in Soviet Gulag camps for more than a decade.

Osvald Harjo in 1958

After being arrested and tortured by the Gestapo in 1942, he managed to escape from custody and fled into the Soviet Union. Here, he was accused of being a German spy, and convicted to 15 years forced labour. He was released in 1955, after pressure from the Norwegian Prime Minister during a visit in Moscow. Paul Engstad wrote Harjo's memoir book Moskva kjenner ingen tårer (English: Moscow knows no tears) in 1956.[1][2]

Harjo was of Finnish descent.[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Osvald Harjo". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
  2. ^ Eriksen, Knut Einar. "Osvald Harjo". In Helle, Knut (ed.). Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 16 March 2011.