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CRIME

‘Most wanted’ fugitive sought by Sweden arrested in Austria

A 39-year-old man who was on the run from Swedish authorities has been arrested in Vienna, Europol has announced.

'Most wanted' fugitive sought by Sweden arrested in Austria
File photo not related to the story. Photo: Fredrik Sandberg/TT

The man, who is a Somali national, was arrested in Austria on September 19th. He was previously charged in Sweden for the attempted murder of his wife, but has been on the run since 2016 and featured on the “Europe's Most Wanted” list run by the European Network of Fugitive Active Search Teams (ENFAST) and Europol.

The man attacked his wife with an axe in Sweden last year, causing serious injuries to her, but “evaded justice” according to Europol, and a European Arrest Warrant was issued.

His trace had disappeared after he fled and reached Belgium, but the investigation discovered that he had taken on a false identity and was hiding in Austria, which led Swedish authorities to contact their Austrian counterparts, who then located him in the country’s capital and made the arrest. 

CRIME

Stockholm court fines Greta Thunberg over parliament climate protest

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was handed a fine for disobeying police orders after blocking access to Sweden's parliament during a protest.

Stockholm court fines Greta Thunberg over parliament climate protest

Police removed Thunberg on March 12th and 14th after she refused to leave the main entrance, where she was protesting with a small group of activists for several days. MPs could still access the building via secondary entrances.

The court said it fined the activist 6,000 Swedish kronor ($551) and ordered her to pay 1,000 kronor in damages and interest.

Thunberg denied the charges of two counts of civil disobedience, according to an AFP journalist at the hearing.

Asked by the judge why she had not obeyed police orders, she replied: “Because there was a (climate) emergency and there still is. And in an emergency, we all have a duty to act.”

“The current laws protect the extractive industries instead of protecting people and the planet, which is what I believe should be the case,” she said as she left the courtroom.

Thunberg has been fined twice before in Sweden, in July and October 2023, for civil disobedience during similar protests.

In February, a London judge dropped charges against her for disturbing the peace during a demonstration against the oil industry in October in the British capital.

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