Norwegian telecoms company Telenor is under investigation over its former operation in Myanmar, a market the carrier exited back in 2022.

Telenor confirmed the investigation from Norway, which seeks to bring charges against the company over suspicions of breaching the nation’s Sanctions Act, plus suspected complicity in crimes against humanity. Both charges are in relation to its operations in the country.

Telenor exited Myanmar in 2022 after the 2021 coup d’état, which brought a brutal military junta into power. Since coup, it is estimated that as many as 96,000 people have been killed during the conflict, with millions of civilians displaced.

Telenor sold its Myanmar unit to Lebanese holding company M1 Group for $105 million after it had operated in Myanmar between 2014 and 2022.

In separate statements, Norwegian law enforcement organisations Police Security Service (PST) and Kripos, which investigates organized crime, confirmed they are probing Telenor over the possible charges. Telenor said that “no individuals have been charged or are under investigation.”

It comes months after a class action lawsuit was filed against Telenor amid allegations that the carrier shared customers’ data in Myanmar with the country’s military junta following a 2021 coup.

The lawsuit has been filed on behalf of Myanmar customers whose data was shared with the military, according to a statement by Swedish non-profit Justice and Accountability Initiative (JAI).

Investigators have carried out a search of Telenor’s premises at Fornebu today (September 15), confirmed the telco, which said it has been in “close dialogue with the Norwegian prosecuting authorities for a long time, and has handed over extensive documentation and information.”

“No real choice” says Telenor over exit

The carrier also noted that its position in Myanmar became a matter of life and death, something the operator said earlier this year when the class action lawsuit was filed.

“Our employees risked imprisonment, torture or the death penalty if the military authorities’ orders were not complied with. This was a very demanding situation in which we found that we had no real choice and that we could not put our employees’ lives at risk,” said David Fidjeland, media relations director, Telenor.

“We will, of course, co-operate fully with the police and help ensure the case is thoroughly examined. This is a complex case that has also been investigated by the police before. We will therefore let the police carry out their work and await the further process before commenting on the case in more detail,” he added.

Telenor previously stated at the time of its sale in Myanmar that it had to leave “to be able to adhere to our own values on human rights and responsible business.”