Liberal bastion no longer? Rights groups are concerned about Sweden’s crackdown on gang crime

By Johan Ahlander

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Sweden has been rocked by a wave of gang violence and is rushing to rewrite laws long seen as the hallmark of an open society. But critics fear this goes too far, too fast and threatens the rule of law.

Sweden has long been one of Europe’s most liberal states, with one of the continent’s most generous welfare systems, developed over generations of political dominance by the centre-left Social Democrats. Sweden has faced a historic political realignment in the face of rising gang crime.

In less than twenty years, the country has gone from having one of the lowest rates of gun violence in Europe to by far the highest. Last year alone, 55 people were shot dead in 363 separate shootings in a country of just 10 million people, by far the deadliest shootings per capita in Europe.

In 2022, the Social Democrats were voted out and replaced by a right-wing government, ruling with the support of the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, who campaigned on promises to wage war on the gangs and further reduce immigration.

The new government has introduced or proposed measures including anonymity for some witnesses, more electronic surveillance, much harsher penalties and so-called security zones, where police can search people without suspecting a crime. It says it is merely facing the reality that was ignored for too long by previous governments.

“There is no doubt that we are changing some balance points in our system, because that is what reality demands of us,” Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer told Reuters.

“But at the same time, we are doing it in a considered manner and in accordance with the rule of law,” he said, adding that all proposed bills were compatible with the constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights.

Civil rights organizations, opposition parties and legal watchdogs warn against overreach.

“While each individual proposal may be justified, the whole thing is deeply concerning,” said John Stauffer, acting director of the Stockholm-based human rights group Civil Rights Defenders, describing the changes as “the biggest shift in criminal justice we have ever seen.” experienced. seen, perhaps in modern times”.

“There are incredibly major consequences for rights, but also for trust in society and trust in government. If it is weakened, democratic society is weakened,” he said. “Respect for rights is deteriorating, and the rule of law is also being endangered and weakened.”

CONTROVERSIAL PROPOSALS

In a bid to get more people to testify against gang members, the government introduced a bill in October that would allow the use of anonymous witnesses from January next year, despite criticism that it undermines traditional legal practice for fair trials. Similar laws already exist in Denmark and Norway.

The Council on Legislation, a government agency that examines bills and determines their compatibility with the Constitution, said the benefits “appear very limited” and that the change could leave courts facing a weaker basis for rulings. The government defends the proposal.

“The gangs threaten and silence witnesses,” said Strommer, the justice minister, adding that this hampered the investigation and led to dropped cases. “We have to change that.”

The government has also increased electronic surveillance, allowing police to eavesdrop on people without suspicion of a specific crime.

Gudrun Nordborg, crime policy spokesman for the left-wing opposition party, said that while some reforms, such as tougher sentences for some crimes, were justified, the government’s policies as a whole were worrying.

“They are playing with democracy and showing no respect for due process,” she said. “We have developed over a long time principles that must be respected, such as human rights, the constitution, and that the state should not have too many rights over its own citizens. And here we are now on shaky ground.”

The police have been given the authority to stop and search people in so-called safety zones without suspicion of a crime. Police say such a measure is needed to cool areas after crimes such as shootings. Critics, including Amnesty International, claim this will lead to racial profiling.

“People are already marginalized in the deprived areas. We don’t need to stigmatize them even more,” says Nadim Ghazale, who worked as a police officer for 17 years before becoming a community organizer in Boras, western Sweden. “It could damage confidence in the police and I fear it will do more harm than good.”

Strommer said much of the criticism had been blown out of proportion and that Sweden was only introducing measures that had largely been tested elsewhere, such as in Denmark.

“My firm belief is that, in light of the reality that I believe the vast majority of people recognize, it is imperative that we vigorously advance our positions on several fronts at the same time,” he said.

(Reporting by Johan Ahlander; editing by Niklas Pollard and Peter Graff)