Sweden rocked by arrest of diplomat accused of espionage
The country's special services have detained a high-ranking Swedish diplomat on charges of collaborating with a foreign intelligence agency. This recent event has further unsettled the Swedish political class.
What you need to know
- A high-ranking Swedish diplomat was detained by the SAPO special services on charges of espionage.
- A search was conducted at the diplomat’s residence in Stockholm.
- This is another blow to the Swedish political scene. On Friday, the prime minister's national security advisor resigned in a scandalous atmosphere.
Swedish public media reported that the country's special services, SAPO, detained a diplomat suspected of collaborating with a foreign intelligence agency. Although details of the case are limited due to the investigation's confidentiality, it is known that the official held a high position in the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to Swedish Radio and SVT television, a search was conducted in his apartment in Stockholm.
Sweden's Minister of Justice, Gunnar Stroemmer, confirmed that the government was informed of the SAPO operation. "We are dealing with suspected serious crime," he emphasized.
Another blow to the Swedish political class
The detention of the diplomat is another blow to the Swedish political scene, which has already been grappling with security-related issues.
On Friday, Sweden's national security advisor to the prime minister, Tobias Thyberg, resigned just hours after his appointment when media revealed the existence of his intimate photos on a dating app for the LGBT community, which the government office was unaware of. His predecessor, Henrik Landerholm, left his position in January amidst scandal. Media reports indicated that he left classified documents in a conference center locker and on other occasions lost a notebook and a cell phone.
