Sweden remains a high-priority target for terrorists amid accusations of Russian propaganda
As Charlotte von Essen, head of the National Internal Security Agency (SAPO), reported, Sweden maintains the second-highest terrorist threat level. This information was shared at a Sunday conference.
After episodes of Quran burning and the ensuing widespread protests by Muslims globally, Sweden has become a high-priority target for terrorists associated with the Islamic State. Consequently, in August, the threat level was raised to the fourth level on a five-level scale. Previously, the third level of terrorist threat had been maintained since 2016.
"Sweden is still seen as a high-priority target for terrorists and a country hostile to Islam," conceded the head of SAPO to reporters. She further added that she does not foresee any significant changes regarding this issue in the foreseeable future. This is particularly due to the complexities of the Middle East situation and the conflict between Israel and Hamas, which also impacts the situation in Sweden.
Islamic terrorism and Russia
In an interview with the Finnish newspaper "Iltalehti," von Essen discussed the ongoing false propaganda campaign against Sweden and its citizens online. As she explains, misinformation implying that the entire Scandinavian country is against Islam is being circulated among Muslims.
Previously, suspicion arose that these actions were taken by Russian intelligence services, who aimed to obstruct Sweden's potential entry into NATO. Given this context, Finnish journalists asked von Essen if she believed Russia was still feeding Muslims false information online.
"All I can say is that what happens in Sweden serves Russia's interests - the benefits align directly with its objectives," replied von Essen, emphasizing that she couldn't go into further details.
