Press releases

Through press releases, the Swedish Prosecution Authority announce press conferences and provides information on a selection of cases.

  • The investigation into a suspected rape and two cases of sexual assault at a hotel in central Stockholm on October 10 2024 is closed. The reason is evidence problems.

    “During the course of the investigation, there has been a designated person suspected on reasonable grounds of rape and two cases of sexual assault, but my assessment is that the evidence is not sufficient to proceed and the investigation is therefore closed. The designated person has not been notified of suspicion of a crime”, says Senior Prosecutor Marina Chirakova, who has been the head of the investigation. The Prosecution Authority’s case number: AM-152477-24. Contact Senior Prosecutor Marina Chirakova is available today, December 12, on +46 10 562 69 10 until 1.45 PM. Press Service, +46 10 562 50 20

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  • In response to media reports about a suspected rape in Stockholm, the prosecutor can confirm that a criminal report has been submitted to the police.

    According to the report, the incident took place on October 10 at a hotel in central Stockholm. Case number at the Swedish Prosecution Authority: AM-152477-24. The investigation is being led by senior prosecutor Marina Chirakova, who is unable to provide more information at this time. Further information will be provided in a press release when available. Press Service, +46 10 562 50 20

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  • Woman indicted with genocide, crimes against humanity and serious war crimes in Syria

    The prosecutor has today indicted a woman with genocide, crimes against humanity and serious war crimes in Raqqa, Syria, between 2014 and 2016. This indictment is the first in Sweden to try the Islamic State’s attack on the Yazidi minority. It is also the first indictment in Sweden for crimes against humanity. The prosecutor is available to the media by phone after today’s press conference.

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    The prosecutor has today indicted a woman with genocide, crimes against humanity and serious war crimes in Raqqa, Syria, between 2014 and 2016. This indictment is the first in Sweden to try the Islamic State’s attack on the Yazidi minority. It is also the first indictment in Sweden for crimes against humanity. The prosecutor is available to the media by phone after today’s press conference.

    The investigation shows that the Islamic State, IS, attacked the Yazidi religious minority in Iraq in August 2014. A large number of Yazidi people were killed and thousands of women and children were captured and taken to the area controlled by the IS in Syria. “Under IS control, the Yazidi minority were deprived of basic freedoms and rights. Women, children and men were regarded as property and subjected to enslavement, slave trading, sexual slavery, forced labour, deprivation of liberty and extrajudicial executions. The charged offences comprise part of the systematic abuse and offences these women and children were subjected too during their time in IS’ captivity. IS sought to destroy the Yazidi people on an industrial scale,” says Senior Prosecutor Reena Devgun leading the investigation. The 52-year-old woman is suspected of, in complicity with other perpetrators, between 2014 and 2016, buying or receiving civilian women and children belonging to the Yazidi minority in her residence in Raqqa in Syria. According to the indictment, she treated them as slaves. Furthermore, they were subjected to severe suffering, slavery or other inhumane treatment. In violation of international law they were deprived of liberty in the woman’s home and prevented from leaving. “Genocide, crimes against humanity and serious war crimes can be committed by means of acts that overlap each other. However, they have different protection interests and it is therefore important that the court tries all the criminal classifications that can be relevant for the acts that I believe to have been committed in the residence,” says Reena Devgun. The woman is suspected of, on different occasions, being complicit in selling or handing over women and children to other persons within IS, knowing that they could be killed or subjected to severe suffering or serious sexual assault. “My opinion is that all the victims were subjected to such severe mental harm that it constitutes genocide. Forcefully taking the Yazidi children from their group and, as in this case, bringing them up to be Muslims, is also an act of genocide,” says Reena Devgun. The woman denies all allegations. She is currently serving a sentence for gross violations of international law and serious war crimes. What are genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes? Stockholm District Court Case Number: B3210-23. Contact Senior Prosecutor Reena Devgun is available today 19 September at approximately 3-3.30 PM for interviews on +46 10-562 50 15. The next time she is available to the media is after the judgment has been delivered. Press Service, +46 10 562 50 20

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  • The prosecutor has decided to prosecute two men aged 38 and 49 with agitation against an ethnic or national group. The prosecution relates to four incidents in which the Qur’an was burned in various locations in Stockholm during the summer of 2023. The prosecutor is available to the media.

    Both men are prosecuted for four offences of agitation against an ethnic or national group as a result of incidents outside the mosque in Södermalm on 28 July and 24 August 2023, and at Rinkebyplan and Benny Fredrikssons Torg on 25 and 26 August that same year. According to the indictment, evidence largely consists of video recordings of the events in question. “Both men are prosecuted for having on these four occasions made statements and treated the Qur’an in a manner intended to express contempt for Muslims because of their faith. In my opinion, the men’s statements and actions fall under the provisions on agitation against an ethnic or national group and it is important that this matter is tried in court,” says Senior Prosecutor Anna Hankkio, who is leading the investigation. The 49-year-old man is also prosecuted for benefit fraud. Stockholm District Court Case Number: B 10686-23. Contact Senior Prosecutor Anna Hankkio is available to the media by telephone today, 28 August between 11 am and 12 noon on +46 (0)10 562 73 53. Press Service, +46 10 562 50 20

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  • The investigation where an 26-year-old man has been suspected of having subjected a woman to illegal threats has been closed. The incident occurred on May 9 in connection with the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö. The prosecutor is available to the media this afternoon.

    The investigation has come to the conclusion that the man made a movement that hit the woman's film camera. The course of events was fast and was perceived differently by the witnesses of the incident. "Today I have closed the investigation because I cannot prove that the act was capable of causing serious fear or that the man had any such intention", says senior prosecutor Fredrik Jönsson. Case number in Malmö District Court: B 5921-24. Contact Senior prosecutor Fredrik Jönsson is available for the media by phone today Monday at 14– 15, +46 10 562 60 75. Press Service, +46 10 562 50 20

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  • The conclusion of the investigation is that Swedish jurisdiction does not apply and that the investigation therefore should be closed.

    On September 26, 2022, several attacks were carried out in international waters, directed at the Nord Stream. Public Prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist has led the investigation, which has concerned gross sabotage. The primary purpose of the investigation has been to establish whether Swedish citizens were involved in the act and whether Swedish territory was used to carry out the act, and thereby risked damaging Swedish interests or Sweden's security. The investigation has now reached such a stage that the authorities have a clear view of the incident and that nothing has emerged to indicate that Sweden or Swedish citizens were involved in the attack which took place in international waters. “The investigation has been systematic and thorough. Among other things, a large number of ship movements have been analysed in order to understand what has happened. In addition to that, an extensive crime scene investigation has been carried out and several interviews have been held in the matter. Against the background of the situation we now have, we can state that Swedish jurisdiction does not apply”, says Mats Ljungqvist Cooperation with Swedish authorities The investigation team has had very good cooperation with several Swedish authorities. “I would particularly like to highlight the quick and efficient effort that the Swedish Navy and the Swedish Coast Guard carried out in order to secure the crime scene. Without their efforts, the authorities would not have been able to reach the state of investigation that we have now reached”, says Mats Ljungqvist. Good international cooperation Furthermore, there has been efficient cooperation with several countries. “We have had good cooperation with several countries, above all Denmark and Germany, where we have continuously shared information and status reports. We have had in-depth cooperation with the investigation conducted by the German authorities. Within the framework of this legal cooperation, we have been able to hand over material that can be used as evidence in the German investigation”, says Mats Ljungqvist “The German investigation continues and due to the secrecy that prevails in international legal cooperation, I cannot comment further on the cooperation that has taken place. With reference to this, I will also not be able to comment anything further on the conclusions of the Swedish investigation or comment on any suspected persons in the Swedish investigation”, says Mats Ljungqvist. Summary In summary, the Swedish investigation has been able to establish and confirm circumstances that, taken together, lead to the conclusion that there is no longer any reason to continue the Swedish preliminary investigation because it can be assumed that Swedish courts lacks jurisdiction. The prosecutor will not, due to the secrecy that still prevails, further comment on the case. The decision (in Swedish). Press Service, +46 10 562 50 20

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  • No decision will be made today, Tuesday. The prosecutor will tentatively make a decision tomorrow.

    In connection with the decision, a press release will be published. No information can be provided until then. Press Service, +46 10 562 50 20

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  • Investigation closed concerning suspected murder on ferry in the Baltic Sea

    On June 29, an alarm was received that a mother and a child, a six-year-old, had fallen overboard from the ferry between Gdynia in Poland and Karlskrona in Sweden. Both the mother and the child were found in the sea and taken to hospital in Karlskrona where they were pronounced dead. Suspicion arose that the mother had been guilty of murdering the child. The Swedish prosecutor has today closed the investigation because the suspect is deceased. The prosecutor is available to the media today.

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    On June 29, an alarm was received that a mother and a child, a six-year-old, had fallen overboard from the ferry between Gdynia in Poland and Karlskrona in Sweden. Both the mother and the child were found in the sea and taken to hospital in Karlskrona where they were pronounced dead. Suspicion arose that the mother had been guilty of murdering the child. The Swedish prosecutor has today closed the investigation because the suspect is deceased. The prosecutor is available to the media today.

    – We have taken a large number of investigative measures to map out what happened. There were no witnesses to the incident, but we have interviewed the captain, reviewed surveillance footage from the ferry and have carried out forensic examinations. The death report shows that the cause of death was drowning. The investigation concludes that the child was killed. The surveillance video displays that the mother had the child in her arms when they fell overboard, says deputy chief prosecutor Marie Lindström, who has been the investigation leader. Both the mother and the child were Polish citizens. An investigation was also opened in Poland and is still ongoing. The Swedish prosecutor's decision to discontinue the investigation does not affect the Polish investigation. – We have not undertaken any investigative measures in Poland, but on request of Polish prosecutors, we have provided them with investigative material. We have investigated the matter here as well because the child and mother were declared deceased in Karlskrona. It is important to point out that no court review has been carried out, so the conclusions we now draw are based on the investigation measures we have taken, says Marie Lindström. The Prosecution Authority’s case number: AM 93747-23. The decision (in Swedish) Since the investigation has been closed, confidentiality remains. The prosecutor is therefore not in a position to answer detailed questions about the investigation Contact Public prosecutor, Marie Lindström, is available to the media today between 10 am and 11 am, +46 10 562 61 24. Press Service, +46 10 562 50 20

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  • Trial commences in case regarding complicity in grave war crimes in Sudan

    On Tuesday 5 September, the trial starts in the case where two representatives of the then named company Lundin Oil AB, have been indicted suspected of having been complicit in war crimes committed by the then Sudanese regime with the purpose of securing the company’s oil operations in southern Sudan between 1999-2003.

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    On Tuesday 5 September, the trial starts in the case where two representatives of the then named company Lundin Oil AB, have been indicted suspected of having been complicit in war crimes committed by the then Sudanese regime with the purpose of securing the company’s oil operations in southern Sudan between 1999-2003.

    The hearing will continue in the Stockholm District Court for approximately two and a half years and will conclude in early 2026. The initial days will, amongst other things, affect claims. The prosecution's case will be presented from September 7 through November 8, 2023. Please contact The Stockholm District Court, department 4, for the main negotiation plan with more information. Stockholm District Court case number: B 11304-14. Six prosecutors from The National Unit Against Organised Crime will be in charge of the prosecution. Media In the end of the trial’s first day on 5 September the prosecutors are available to the media on telephone: Senior Public Prosecutor, Henrik Attorps +46(0)10-562 54 27. Senior Public Prosecutor, Karolina Wieslander +46(0)10-562 54 53. The next opportunity when the prosecutors are available to the media, will be announced in a press release. Before the start of the trial, the prosecutors are not available to the media.

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  • Today the Court of Appeal has found a former surgeon at the Swedish hospital Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset guilty of aggravated assault for implanting artificial tracheas in three patients who subsequently died, sentencing him to two and a half years imprisonment.

    “We appealed because, as we see it, the interventions were contrary to science and best practice. Furthermore, a wide range of circumstances clearly show that the interventions were research, not care,” says Director of Public Prosecution Mikael Björk. “It is satisfactory that the Court of Appeal shares our view that two of the three injured parties were not in danger within the meaning of the Penal Code and that the interventions were a matter of research subject to a permit,” says Mikael Björk. The prosecutor is not available for questions in English.     Press Service, +46 10 562 50 20

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  • Prosecution brought for i.a. attempted terrorist financing

    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.

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    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

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  • Still unclear who is behind gross sabotage

    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.

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    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

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  • 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

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  • Two Men Indicted for gross Espionage

    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.

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    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

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  • 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

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  • Verdict in matter concerning War Crimes in Iran

    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.

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    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

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  • Appeal to the Court of Appeal in high-profile synthetic trachea case

    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.

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    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

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  • 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

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  • 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

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  • Prosecutors available to the media tomorrow at Solna District Court

    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.

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    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

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