The prosecutor has today appealed the District Court's conviction of a woman for genocide, crimes against humanity and serious war crimes. Instead of 12 years' imprisonment, the prosecutor demands life imprisonment.

On 11 February, the Stockholm District Court sentenced a woman to 12 years’ imprisonment for genocide, crimes against humanity and serious war crimes committed in Syria in 2015. The prosecutor requests that the woman be sentenced to life imprisonment or a longer fixed-term sentence. “In my opinion, there are several reasons why the woman should receive a more severe sentence, including the fact that crimes against humanity have not previously been tried by Swedish courts and that outright enslavement, which in my opinion was the case, should amount to a higher penalty. There are also very few international judgments on crimes of this kind that are directed against children and for that reason there is of interest to get guidance on how the punishment should be assessed” says senior prosecutor Reena Devgun. Case number in Stockholm District Court: B 3210-23. Contact Due to other commitments, the prosecutor is not available for questions. Press Service, +46 10 562 50 20

Prosecutors have requested that a 17-year-old be surrendered to Sweden on suspicion of serious weapon offences in connection with a shooting against the Israeli embassy in Stockholm 1 October 2024. The 17-year-old is also suspected of a murder in Hallstahammar. The prosecutors’ request will be tried today in a Danish Court.

“I have issued a Nordic Arrest Warrant and requested the young man to be surrendered from Denmark to Sweden for legal proceedings. The man is held in custody on suspicion of the explosion by the Israeli embassy in Copenhagen 2 October 2024. Sweden and Denmark have established a close-knit collaboration”, says Senior Prosecutor Cecilia Holmbom. The 17-year-old is arrested in absentia in Sweden on probable cause for two cases of serious weapon offenses. Stockholm District Court case number: B 21950-24. The prosecutor has also requested that the young man be surrendered to Sweden by way of a Nordic Arrest Warrant on suspicion of a murder in Hallstahammar. “The 17-year-old is suspected of shooting another man to death in Hallstahammar on 19 September 2024. He was identified in connection with the crimes against the Israeli embassies in Stockholm and Copenhagen. The purpose of the Nordic Arrest Warrant is to bring him to justice for the murder in Sweden as soon as possible”, says Senior Prosecutor Anna Elmlöv. Västmanlands District Court case number: B 6527-24. Surrender under a European arrest warrant Contact today, 5 February Senior Prosecutor Cecilia Holmbom will be available to the media today between 5.15 and 5.45 pm, on +46 10 562 61 02. She is in charge of the investigation regarding serious weapon offences in connection with the shooting against the Israeli embassy. She can only give interviews on that case. Senior Prosecutor Anna Elmlöv will be available to the media today between 3 and 3.30 pm, on +46 10 562 67 71. She is in charge of the investigation about a murder in Hallstahammar. She can only give interviews on that case. Press Service, +46 10 562 50 20

The investigation concerning a cable break between Sweden and Latvia in the Baltic Sea has clarified that it is not a case of gross sabotage. Therefore, a decision has been made to lift the seizure of the ship suspected of being involved in the cable break.

– The investigation now clearly shows that it is not a case of sabotage. It has been established that a combination of weather conditions and deficiencies in equipment and seamanship contributed to the cable break. The investigation has been systematic and thorough in order to clarify the incident, says Senior Prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist at the National Security Unit. On Sunday 26 January 26 damage was discovered on a communication cable between Sweden and Latvia in the Baltic Sea. An investigation into gross sabotage was initiated and a ship suspected of being involved in the cable break was seized. The primary purpose of the investigation has been to investigate the suspicions of crimes that may have been directed against Swedish interests. – After interrogations, seizures that have been made and analyzed, and crime scene investigations that have been carried out, we can say with certainty that this is not a case of sabotage. At the same time, we have been able to establish that it is the ship that was seized that caused the cable break, says Mats Ljungqvist. The Security Police is conducting the investigation under the leadership of Prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist at the National Security Unit. Several authorities are involved and contributing to the investigation work. – We have had very good cooperation with several Swedish authorities. I would particularly like to highlight the Coast Guard and the Police Authority as well as the Armed Forces. Without the good cooperation, the investigation would not have been able to reach the investigative stage that we have now reached, says Mats Ljungqvist. The investigation is still continuing to determine whether there are other crimes that can be suspected in connection with the cable break. Press Service, +46 10 562 50 20

Prosecutors have today requested the Stockholm District Court to detain a Swedish citizen suspected of severe war crimes and terrorist crimes in Syria.

On December 24 in 2014 an aircraft belonging to the Royal Jordainan Air Force was shot down in Syria. The pilot was captured by the Islamic State (IS) the same day near Raqqa, Syria. The man now requested for detention is suspected of having executed the pilot, together with other perpetrators belonging to IS. The investigation has shown that the man, armed and masked, together with others forced the pilot into a metal cage. The cage was subsequently set on fire by one of the co-perpetrators. The pilot had no means to defend himself or seek help and died as a result of the fire. The criminal act was filmed, and the video, which in addition to the execution itself manifests IS propaganda and terrorist activities, has been widely spread. "The terrorist organization IS engaged in battle in the war in Syria. The pilot was incapacitated and subjected to an extremely cruel act in violation of the laws of war. The fact that the execution was then filmed and the film distributed constitutes an additional violation of his person," says Senior Prosecutor Reena Devgun. The execution is considered one of the most brutal murders committed by IS during the war in Syria. "The video delivers a clear message aimed at states attacking IS, and the manner in which it was produced and disseminated could have caused harm to a country or an intergovernmental organization. It is a brutal film where the pilot was used as a tool in IS's propaganda machinery. No other individual has been prosecuted for this act, and the man we have requested to be detained will be the first where prosecution may take place for this act," says Deputy Chief Prosecutor Henrik Olin. The suspected crime period is December 24, 2014 – February 3, 2015. The Swedish citizen has previously been convicted in Belgium and France for terrorist crimes and will be requested for transfer in the event of a trial in Sweden. The investigation is being conducted jointly by the Swedish Police Authority’s National Operations Department and the Swedish Security Service under the direction of prosecutors from the National Unit Against Organised Crime and the National Security Unit. The prosecutors will not be available for further comments until a decision on prosecution has been made. Stockholm District Court Case Number: B 3980-24. What are genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes? Contact Press Service, +46 10 562 50 20