Two Lithuanian men arrested in Norway on Saturday have been released and cleared of any involvement in the brutal torture of one of their countrymen at a farm in Nærøy over the Easter holidays.

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On Saturday morning, the 30-year-old Lithuanian victim was found by his employer hanging upside down in a stairwell at the farm where he worked in Nærøy, north-central Norway.

He is believed to have been left hanging with his hands and feet bound for eight to ten hours, during which time he suffered serious muscular injuries.

Before being placed in an induced coma, the victim told police he had received a visit from two men at around midnight at his home on the farm where he has worked for several years.

Later on Saturday, two Lithuanian men were taken in for questioning after police arrested them in nearby Namsos for the possession of contraband goods.

“We thought it was natural to check up on them both after what happened in Nærøy, but there is nothing to suggest they had any involvement with the case,” police investigator Bengt Blom told broadcaster NRK.

The torture victim meanwhile has undergone a series of operations at St. Olav’s hospital in Trondheim. Hospital staff have indicated that he may be fit to speak to police about his ordeal on Wednesday.

Police investigator Hans-Petter Gjertsås said the culprits could face charges of attempted murder if caught.

“It’s evident that leaving somebody in this way could lead to death if the person in question doesn’t get help,” he told newspaper Adresseavisen.