iNyheter Article: Event "chased" away: – The treatment of Glenn Diesen is a disgrace.

Former CIA agent John Kiriakou was set to be the headline speaker at an event in Sagene Church on July 2, titled "We Can Prevent World War III!"

However, two weeks prior to the event, Sagene Church withdrew and issued a press release.

It stated, among other things:

"When we entered into discussions about this event, we did not have all the information we have now. We envisioned a peace event with a general focus on the importance of avoiding war, opposition to torture, and the fight for freedom of speech.

We now have new and more complete information regarding the event, including the full list of participants and how it is being promoted. We have concluded that it does not align with the role we wish for the church and the church space to play in public discourse."

The press release continued:

"In doing so, we emphasise that an exchange of differing views does not appear to be the aim of the event, given that all the contributors are known to hold very similar positions. Rather than serving as a meeting place and a forum for the clash of ideas, the event risks appearing more like a platform for promoting a specific political viewpoint. While that is entirely legitimate, it should not be the role of the church."

So, what was this specific political viewpoint? The press release did not say. However, the text describing the 'Lay Down Your Arms' event stated the following:

"Meet former CIA agent John Kiriakou, jazz pianist Tord Gustavsen, and actor Juni Dahr—along with a panel featuring Arne Ruth, Ola Tunander, and Glenn Diesen: How did we end up with the greatest militarisation of the world in history, in which nuclear weapons are part of the arsenal?"

Has millions of views

For those who don't know, John Kiriakou is a former CIA operative who denounced the post-9/11 interrogation techniques, including waterboarding. He was charged with revealing the identity of a CIA agent and sentenced to two years in prison for it. In recent years, he has appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience and a number of the world's largest podcast platforms.

Vårt Land joins the fray

Following the press release, the Christian newspaper Vårt Land stepped in.

"Glenn Diesen, Ola Tunander, and several controversial figures had invited people to an event at Sagene Church regarding a possible third world war. Now, the church has announced that it is withdrawing as the organiser," the newspaper wrote in the lead paragraph of an article published on June 27.

The newspaper highlights that these allegedly controversial figures "have distinguished themselves through strong criticism of NATO and Western foreign policy, and have sparked public debate in Norway with their views on Russia and the war in Ukraine."

Three days later, Vårt Land published another article about the event. They began the piece by noting that Sagene Church had withdrawn.


"Controversial"

The panellists then come under scrutiny: "Several of the participants are controversial," writes Vårt Land, selecting the following descriptions:

"For instance, Diesen attracted significant attention regarding his candidacy for Parliament representing the Peace and Justice (FOR) party in the summer of 2025. Several critics accused FOR of spreading Russian propaganda and questioned how the party was funded.

Ola Tunander has also been a subject of considerable controversy. Among other things, he faced criticism in 2011 for an article published in Nytt Norsk Tidsskrift, in which he was accused of speculating about whether Israelis or Saudis had played a role in the July 22 terrorist attacks. He also publicly stated that he did not believe the official explanation for the 9/11 attacks."

Vårt Land subsequently discovered that the event would take place after all—just at a different venue.

"The organisation Lay Down Your Arms, which was behind the event, quickly found an alternative venue: the Voksenåsen hotel and conference centre at Holmenkollen," the newspaper reports.

And they do not let this pass unnoticed. Vårt Land calls Voksenåsen, points out the "controversial participants," and asks for an explanation as to why the conference centre is now "collaborating" with these individuals.


Vårt Land reports:

"At 11:00 a.m. on Monday, Maria af Klinteberg Herresthal, CEO of Voksenåsen, told Vårt Land that hosting the 'Lay Down Your Arms' event at their premises posed no problem for Voksenåsen.

Just two hours later, she called back to say that they—like Sagene Church—were dropping the event.

Herresthal stated that important information regarding the event had not been conveyed to them, and that, upon receiving this information, they chose to cancel the event.

During the earlier conversation, Herresthal had emphasised that they do not concern themselves with the specific content of the event."

From this, one might infer that the information that had just come to light was conveyed by Vårt Land itself. So, what exactly had Vårt Land told Voksenåsen? Had they presented the same "information" found in their articles—namely, just how "controversial" figures like Glenn Diesen, Ola Tunander, and John Kiriakou were?

We will see later what Vårt Land’s editor-in-chief, Bjørn Kristoffer Bore, has to say in response.


iNyheter’s Interest

I was unaware of the event prior to the initial report in Vårt Land. However, upon learning that John Kiriakou was coming to Norway, I considered inviting him to appear on a podcast. To put it mildly, he is no ordinary figure. And as a former intelligence officer myself, I thought it could make for an interesting encounter.

I therefore contacted Ola Tunander, but he informed me that Kiriakou was landing in Oslo late on July 2nd and travelling on to Trondheim early the next morning, leaving insufficient time.

The Vårt Land article suggested the event at Voksenåsen had been cancelled, yet Ticketmaster still listed it as taking place there. I felt it was appropriate to cover the event for iNyheter and perhaps have a chat with Kiriakou.

So, I showed up at Voksenåsen at 7:00 PM on Thursday, July 2nd, and sure enough: 150 people had turned up, filling the venue to capacity—and then some.

Atmosphere at Voksenåsen, July 2nd

The event began with music by Tord Gustavsen and a video composition introducing Kiriakou. This was followed by a conversation in which John Yngvar Jones, head of Lay Down Your Arms, sat down with the former CIA officer. Kiriakou is a charismatic storyteller, and he certainly lived up to that reputation this evening.

During the break, Juni Dahr sang and performed.

Next, the panel took the stage, featuring Glenn Diesen, Ola Tunander, Arne Ruth—a former editor at Expressen and Dagens Nyheter in Sweden—and Kiriakou.

And was much "controversial" said? Well, to the extent that it is controversial to criticise Western nations for prioritising offensive power, war rhetoric, and NATO expansion over mutual understanding with Russia and an acceptance of a multipolar world, then yes—it was controversial.

John Kiriakou remarked that, for his taste, even the US Democrats were "too far to the right," noting that there was little difference between Republicans and Democrats regarding their views on military power and hegemony.

Arne Ruth called it a "scandal" that the Norwegian media and academia treated Glenn Diesen like a "pariah," while Ola Tunander jokingly suggested that the three most famous Norwegians in the world right now were Erling Braut Haaland, Jens Stoltenberg, and Glenn Diesen.

And judging by YouTube view counts, he is likely quite right. Diesen has become a superstar in certain circles.

I stood at the back of the room, looking out at the audience. There were well-dressed people of advanced age. Indeed, one got the distinct impression that these were the "remnants" of a rather radical Left and the Cold War-era peace movement—circles that harbour deep distrust of American intelligence and defence establishments and tend to be critical of NATO and Western "imperialism."

But a group that was denied venue rentals because they were deemed too controversial to be associated with? And a situation where venue owners had to expect calls from the Norwegian press asking if they were renting space to them?

One might expect such tactics from left-wing activists targeting the Norgesdemokratene party and others on the Right—but for this to happen to left-wing peace activists as well!?


What is Vårt Land's agenda?

Early the next morning, John Yngvar Jones replied to a text message I had sent earlier, asking whether the event was going ahead and if the press was welcome:

"Vårt Land must have had an interest in blocking us—who knows? But they wrote that the whole thing had been cancelled. Fortunately, Ticketmaster allows us to message all ticket buyers directly, so we kept them informed that it was going ahead," Jones wrote.

In this context, I realised we couldn't write about the event without addressing Vårt Land’s role in the matter. It struck me as activism—an example of the press not merely reporting the news, but creating it.

I tried calling Editor-in-Chief Bjørn Kristoffer Bore, but the phone number listed for him goes straight to Vårt Land’s customer service voicemail; the only direct contact detail provided is an email address.

Hi Bjørn,

The phone number listed for you goes straight to customer service. iNyheter is working on a story regarding Vårt Land’s coverage of an event organised by Lay Down Your Arms. You have published two articles about it. First, that it was moved from Sagene Church.

And subsequently, that it had been moved to Voksenåsen.

However, in this article, you state that Voksenåsen is also "dropping the event."

That is incorrect. I personally covered the event yesterday at Voksenåsen. Furthermore, the event organiser, John Yngvar Jones, wrote to us afterwards stating: "Vårt Land must have had an interest in blocking us—who knows. They wrote that the whole thing had been cancelled."

iNyheter has a few questions for Vårt Land. Could you provide a phone number so I can call you? Alternatively, I would appreciate written answers to the following:

– Had Sagene Church withdrawn as the host venue before Vårt Land first made contact? (This is not stated in the article).

– Why did Vårt Land report that Voksenåsen had withdrawn? When did you become aware that they hadn't withdrawn after all? And why didn't you issue a correction or publish a new article?

– Vårt Land describes the participants as "controversial." What is your take on the organisers' perception that Vårt Land has an agenda to block the event?

– iNyheter covered the event. There was an audience of approximately 150 people. In our view, there was a clear focus on peace and criticism of Western militarism and surveillance—in other words, a distinctly radical-left character with roots tracing back to the Cold War. The audience was also, on the whole, quite mature in age. Does VL believe that this peace movement—with its Cold War roots—is now so controversial that the press has a legitimate interest in contacting venue owners and questioning them about it?

– How does VL decide which venue owners to contact when you screen events?

I would appreciate a reply by 1:00 PM today.

Best regards,

Helge Lurås


Not Vårt Land’s responsibility

Not many hours later, Bore’s response arrived:

"We learned that Sagene Church had withdrawn from the event through the press release the church issued. Subsequently, we saw that the event had been moved to Voksenåsen, and were informed—both verbally and in writing—by the CEO of Voksenåsen that the rental agreement with 'Lay Down Your Arms' had been cancelled. We were unaware that the event actually took place at Voksenåsen until iNyheter brought it to our attention. The reason for describing the speakers as 'controversial' relates to the church’s justification for the cancellation, and is further elaborated upon in the article."

This didn’t exactly answer everything we asked, so I followed up with this email:

Thanks for the reply. I have a couple of follow-up questions.

– Do you think the landlord—in this case, Voksenåsen—finds it uncomfortable to receive a call from a newspaper asking why they have chosen to provide a venue for an event?

– Do you consider the media to become a participant itself when questioning why someone chooses to provide a venue? Isn’t it a given, in a country with freedom of speech, that debates and lectures should be able to take place without the need for anyone to explain their decision to rent out the premises?

Best regards,

Helge Lurås


Editor-in-Chief Bore responds immediately:

1. I know nothing about that, and I will not speculate on it. Our goal is to practice entirely standard journalism.

2. No. It would be turning things completely on their head to claim that perfectly normal news journalism hinders freedom of speech.

Never experienced anything like it

To the organiser, the situation appears quite different from how the editor-in-chief of Vårt Land portrays it.

Jon Yngvar Jones, head of Lay Down Your Arms, tells iNyheter that he strongly objects to the way the event was handled.

“What is unpleasant is that the press goes out of its way to question venue owners in a manner that feels like pressure. The director gets called while on vacation, and then the people scheduled to participate are characterised in certain ways without the press knowing them at all,” says Jones.

He points out that the event’s participants included former editor-in-chief Arne Ruth, professors Glenn Diesen and Ola Tunander, actress Juni Dahr, jazz pianist Tord Gustavsen, and former CIA officer John Kiriakou.

“And then they have to hear that these are controversial people,” says Jones.


Believes Diesen was the deciding factor

Jones says he does not know for certain who or what caused Sagene Church to withdraw from the event. However, he has a clear idea of ​​what the triggering factor might have been.

"It seems it was Glenn Diesen they didn't want involved. But I don't know who influenced them. I have to say that," says Jones.

He believes that, over time, Diesen has been treated in a way that makes many people reluctant to have anything to do with him.

"I have my suspicions. There are people who have gone after Glenn Diesen in recent years—constantly and systematically," says Jones.

At the same time, Jones emphasises that he accepts Sagene Church's right to withdraw.

"As for the church, it is their prerogative to choose whom they wish to collaborate with. I have no problem accepting that. But it would have been nice if they had offered some sound arguments, rather than simply citing the fact that something is controversial. They haven't done that," he says.

He believes that, in such contexts, the term "controversial" often serves as a label devoid of concrete substance.

“It is said that something is controversial, that something has been said or done. But what is it, really?” asks Jones.



I got a small taste of what Glenn must be feeling

Jones says the process gave him insight into how he believes Glenn Diesen is treated in the Norwegian public sphere.

“I told Glenn yesterday that when I - having invested so much in this event and come so far with advertising and everything - get the feeling that the rug is being pulled out from under me, I’ve experienced a small taste of what Glenn must be feeling,” says Jones.

He points out that Diesen has published a number of books with international academic publishers and enjoys support from prominent international academics and foreign policy commentators.

“It would be a small miracle if we manage to keep him here in Norway, because we treat him so shabbily,” says Jones.

He also refers to what Arne Ruth said from the stage at Voksenåsen.

“As Arne Ruth said yesterday: It is a disgrace for Norwegian academia and the Norwegian press,” says Jones.


Voksenåsen was not a partner

After Sagene Church withdrew, the event was moved to Voksenåsen. Vårt Land contacted them as well.

Jones takes particular issue with the fact that Vårt Land’s portrayal made it appear as though Voksenåsen had entered into a partnership with Lay Down Your Arms.

“Voksenåsen was simply renting out the space under standard terms. This wasn’t a collaborative project,” says Jones.

He says there was no contact with a program committee or any form of joint content planning.

“It wasn’t something we worked on together. It was just a day where we rented the premises,” he says.

According to Jones, Voksenåsen was primarily concerned with logistics, as the venue was hosting a large dinner for 110 guests that same day.

“They were a bit worried about taking on too much. "I told them they didn't need to worry about that, because we had a crew with us that handled everything themselves. By the time we left, everything had been cleared away," he says.

Jones says he knows Voksenåsen well from previous events.

"I’ve held events there for many years. We’ve hosted Daniel Ellsberg and Thomas Drake—major American whistleblowers—as well as events focused on Korea and Africa, and a visit by Kenneth Kaunda. But this wasn't a joint project with Voksenåsen," he says.


They could have called me

Jones also takes issue with Vårt Land reporting that Voksenåsen "dropped the event," when in fact the event was never cancelled.

“If they conveyed the impression that the event was cancelled, that is quite serious,” he says.

He believes the newspaper should have contacted the organiser directly before publishing the story.

“They could have called me. Then I could have told them that we didn't drop the event,” says Jones.

He explains that the event was able to go ahead because the organisers could contact all ticket holders directly via Ticketmaster.

“I sent out updates every day. Everyone was informed that they were welcome at Voksenåsen, that the setting was lovely, that parking was available, and so on. Everyone knew,” he says.

Nevertheless, he believes Vårt Land's coverage may have caused some people to stay home.

“Two or three people wondered if it was still happening because they had read Vårt Land. But, of course, I don't know how many others might have read it and decided not to come,” says Jones.


Belief that the press became a participant

Bore denies to iNyheter that Vårt Land became a participant in the matter. Jones believes this is incorrect.

He argues that the press cannot pretend to be merely observing when it contacts landlords and asks them to explain why they are renting premises to specific individuals.

"When the press starts going after someone in this way, most people break into a sweat," says Jones.

He believes Vårt Land’s journalism in this case helped create the very conflict the newspaper subsequently reported on.

"I think Bore has a very antiquated understanding of what news is. He creates news when he chooses to get involved in a story this way," says Jones.

Jones says he does not know why Vårt Land took such a keen interest in the event. He believes Glenn Diesen’s participation was likely a major factor. At the same time, he points out that Lay Down Your Arms has also made its mark on issues that can be controversial within parts of the Christian community in Norway.

"Last year we gave our award to Francesca Albanese, and this year it goes to the BDS campaign. It may be that Vårt Land views the Israel issue as something they want to oppose. I don't know. I have no idea," he says.

He emphasises again that this is speculation.

"I would love to know who called them beforehand, and who influenced the church. But I know nothing about that," says Jones.


Never

When asked if he has experienced anything similar before, Jones answers emphatically:

“Never. Never. Never.”

He says Lay Down Your Arms has organised meetings for many years, including with high-profile and controversial whistleblowers from the US. However, he notes that he has never before seen a peace event result in both the church and the landlord facing media pressure in this way.

“It is absolutely outrageous that such an event should be controversial, and that pressure is being put on those who rent out their premises,” says Jones.