The prosecutor has today indicted a man in his 40s suspected of attempted serious extortion, serious weapons crime and attempted financing of terrorism. The investigation supports the suspicions that the man acted on behalf of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The prosecutor is available for brief comments by phone this afternoon.

Case number in the Stockholm district court, department 4: B 1069-23.   Contact  Deputy Chief Prosecutor Hans Ihrman is available to the media today, Friday, at 13.30–14.30 for shorter comments, 010-562 53 85. Press Service, +46 10 562 50 20

Public prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist, who is in charge of the ongoing investigation concerning the detonations at the gas pipes North Stream 1 and 2, states that the investigation continues but that it is a complex inquiry and a complicated case to investigate.

“This concerns a crime whose circumstances are difficult to investigate. The detonations took place 80 meters under the water on the ocean floor in the Baltic Sea”, says Mats Ljungqvist. The investigation is being conducted by the Swedish Security Service under the management of the Public Prosecutor at the National Security Unit at the Swedish Prosecution Authority. “There is a variety of information and reports about the sabotage against the gas pipes. The incident has obviously become an open arena for different influence attempts. These speculations do not have an impact on the ongoing investigation, which is grounded in facts and the information which has emerged from analyses, crime scene investigations and collaboration with authorities in Sweden and other countries”, says Mats Ljungqvist. Previously, the investigation has been able to confirm that this is a case concerning gross sabotage. Analyses from objects seized during the crime scene investigations show traces of explosives on several of the foreign objects which were examined. “Regarding the incident, there is no doubt that this is gross sabotage in international waters directed towards infrastructure, whose owner is not connected to Sweden. The focus for the Swedish investigation is primarily about examining if Swedish interest or Swedish security is threatened, for example if Swedish territory was used to carry out the sabotage”, says Mats Ljungqvist. All seized objects and all materials have been examined and analysed carefully. “We are carrying out a number of concrete investigative precautions. We are working unconditionally and turning over every stone and leaving nothing to chance. Our hope is to be able to confirm who has committed this crime, but it should be noted that it likely will be difficult given the circumstances”, says Mats Ljungqvist.  Contact  Public Prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist is available to the media to give short comments by telephone today, Thursday, between 10:00 and 12:00.   Press Service, +46 10 562 50 20

Today two men were convicted of gross espionage at the Stockholm District Court. One of them was also convicted of unauthorised handling of secret information. The sentence for one of them was decided to life imprisonment and for the other one 9 years and 10 months imprisonment.

The court considered it confirmed that the men during nearly ten years of time, on behalf of the Russian Federation and the Russian Intelligence GRU, amongst other things acquired and disclosed information revealed to a foreign power that may cause damage to Sweden's security. The verdict ascertain that the acquisition of data took place within the framework of one the men's employment at the Security Service and at the Swedish Armed Forces. The investigation has been ongoing since 2017 by the Security Service lead by prosecutors at the National Security Unit. The indicted men have been detained since September and November 2021 respectively. After the hearing, the district court decided that they should remain in custody with restrictions. A major part of the information in the indictment is confidential. The district court has defined in the verdict that it shall proceed so. The prosecutors will therefore have limited possibilities to comment on the verdict. “We are satisfied with the district court's assessments of both the liability and penalty issues” says Mats Ljungqvist, Senior Prosecutor at the National Security Unit. “The two men have been convicted of very serious crimes against Sweden's intelligence and security system. The investigation has been characterized by very good cooperation between the authorities”, says Per Lindqvist, Chief Public Prosecutor at the National Security Unit. Case number in the Stockholm District Court: B 14349-21. Both prosecutors are available for brief comments by phone today at 13-15 o’clock. No pre-booked interviews.     Press Service, +46 10 562 50 20

Today the prosecutors Per Lindqvist and Mats Ljungqvist at the National Security Unit of the Swedish Prosecution Authority, have indicted two men for gross espionage on behalf of the Russian Federation. One of the men is also indicted for gross unauthorised handling of secret information.

A major part of the information in the indictment is confidential. The prosecutors will therefore have limited possibilities to comment on the investigation. “It has been a complex investigation concerning a crime that is very difficult to investigate and the suspicion concerns very serious criminality directed against Sweden's intelligence and security system. The offense is serious as it concerns circumstances of major importance. The information that has been obtained, transmitted and divulged could, by the fact that if it comes into the hands of a foreign power, result in detriment to Sweden’s security”, says chief public prosecutor Per Lindqvist. The indicted men have been detained since September and November 2021 respectively. Contact Public prosecutor, Mats Ljungqvist, is available to the media today between 10.30 am and 4 pm. The prosecutors will not be available to the media on any other time.       Press Service, +46 10 562 50 20

For the first time, Sweden is contributing with prosecutorial expertise to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Due to the war in Ukraine, Sweden has been asked by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to strengthen the organization in various missions. “Sweden was one of the first countries to respond when the request came. I am proud that our prosecutors can contribute in investigating war crimes at the ICC” says Prosecutor-General Petra Lundh. In September and October, three prosecutors will start their one-year assignments in The Hague. It has not yet been fully determined which of the ICC's investigations the Swedish prosecutors will work with. In addition to experience in war crimes investigations, the court requested prosecutors with experience in investigations into sexual offences, IT-related crime and crimes against children, as well as general experience in international work.       Press Service, +46 10 562 50 20

On Thursday 14 July at 1.30 pm, the Stockholm District Court will pass sentence in a case where an Iranian citizen is prosecuted for committing grave war crimes and murder in Iran in 1988. The prosecutors Kristina Lindhoff Carleson and Martina Winslow are available to the media after the verdict is announced by the court on Thursday afternoon.

The main hearing ended on 4 May, and the District Court decided that the suspect should remain in custody. Case number in the Stockholm District Court: B 15255-19. Press release when the prosecution was filed The prosecutors are available on Thursday for brief comments 15.00-17.00. Public prosecutor Kristina Lindhoff Carleson will be available by phone, +46 10 562 54 31. No pre- booked interviews. Public prosecutor Martina Winslow, is available for interviews in person. These must be registered in advance. Please send an inquiry to [email protected] no later than Thursday 14 July at 9 am.    Press Service, +46 10 562 50 20

Director of Public Prosecution Mikael Björk, in consultation with Chief Public Prosecutor Jim Westerberg and Senior Prosecutor Karin Lundström-Kron, has today appealed the verdict of Solna District Court (16 June 2022) in the case where a former surgeon at Karolinska University Hospital was prosecuted with aggravated assault of three persons who had received synthetic trachea implants.

The defendant was sentenced in the District Court to a conditional sentence for causing bodily harm in one of the cases. The prosecutors request, in the appeal of today, that the defendant be sentenced to imprisonment for three counts of aggravated assault or, alternatively, for causing bodily harm, aggravated offence. Even if the Court of Appeal accepts the District Court's assessment of the question of guilt, it is requested that the sentence will be set at imprisonment. “I consider that the defendant has been guilty of risk-taking of a serious nature in respect of all three injured parties. In all cases, the interventions were contrary to science and best practice. Furthermore, a wide range of circumstances clearly show that the interventions were research, as demonstrated by the evidence we have adduced. It seems clear to me that these have been completely unlawful human experiments and the penalty should be a long prison sentence, given the nature of the crime and the high penal value,” says Director of Public Prosecution Mikael Björk. According to the District Court's assessment, the judgment is based in its entirety on the necessity clause of the Penal Code. This is opposed by the prosecutors. “In our view, the three injured parties were not in danger within the meaning of the Penal Code. In order for an act to be considered necessary for the elimination of the danger, it should reasonably be required that the act in question can eliminate the threatening danger with some degree of probability. A completely unproven method involving the replacement of a vital organ with a plastic tube cannot be said to be of this kind,” says Chief Public Prosecutor Jim Westerberg. “I consider that the evidence adduced overwhelmingly supports the conclusion that in none of the three occasions there was a reasonably imminent danger that the three plaintiffs would die. One of many clear examples of this is that there was plenty of time for the synthetic tracheas to be manufactured in the UK and the US and then transported to Sweden for the planned operations," says Senior Prosecutor Karin Lundström-Kron. Case number in Solna District Court: B 10553-18. It is The Svea Court of Appeal that decides when the main hearing starts. The prosecutors are not available to the media. The appeal (in Swedish)  Press Service, +46 10 562 50 20

On Thursday 16 June at 11 am Solna District Court will pass sentence in a case where a former surgeon is prosecuted for aggravated assault of three persons who had synthetic tracheas implanted. The prosecutors are available to the media in the afternoon.

Chief Prosecutor Jim Westerberg and Senior Prosecutor Karin Lundström-Kron will be available to the media for short interviews on telephone Thursday 14-16 pm. You cannot pre-book interviews. Solna District Court case number: B 10553-18.  Contact  Jim Westerberg, interviews with Swedish media, +46 (0)10 562 70 54. Karin Lundström-Kron, interviews with Swedish and international media, +46 (0)10 562 72 10.   Press Service, +46 10 562 50 20

The press conference with chief prosecutor Jim Westerberg and senior prosecutor Karin Lundström-Kron will be held at 11.30 AM

Due to the fact that the trial has been postponed in the case where a former surgeon at Karolinska University Hospital is prosecuted for aggravated assault, the press conference with chief prosecutor Jim Westerberg and senior prosecutor Karin Lundström-Kron will be held at 11.30 AM. No pre-bookings can be made for the interviews.   Press Service, +46 10 562 50 20

Chief Prosecutor Jim Westerberg and Senior Prosecutor Karin Lundström-Kron will be available tomorrow Wednesday for short media interviews concerning the case where a former surgeon at Karolinska University Hospital is prosecuted for aggravated assault of three people who had synthetic tracheas implanted at Karolinska University Hospital.

Solna District Court case number: B 10553-18. Place and time Solna District Court, in a public space in the premises of the district court, on 4 May after the main hearing around 16:30. No pre registration is required. The prosecutors are only available in person in the district court.     Press Service, +46 10 562 50 20