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TERRORISM

Swedish prosecutor charges Turkish man for fundraising for PKK terror group

A prosecutor in Sweden has charged a Turkish citizen for attempting to raise money for the Kurdish PKK terror group in a landmark case which could help Sweden win Turkish approval for its Nato membership.

Published: 9 June 2023 15:45 CEST
PKK protest in Malmo, Sweden
A PKK flag is waved at a May Day protest in Malmö. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

Hans Ihrman, Deputy Chief Prosecutor for the Swedish Prosecution Agency’s National Security Unit, told The Local that the case marked the first time that anyone had been charged in Sweden for raising funds for the PKK.

He stressed, however, that it was “a coincidence” that he had made his charges at a time when the Swedish government is under pressure from Turkey to pursue people connected to the group. 

“We are totally independent of the government in that way and there’s been no pressure at all,” he said. “It’s a coincidence that this investigation and prosecution has come when it did.” 

He said that the main reason there had been so far been no prosecutions for PKK terror financing was the way the organisation operated.  

“One obvious reason is that most terrorist organisations we know are very eager to market their activities, but the PKK has the opposite approach, and deniability is the key word here.” 

“It’s more difficult to get a grip on how this organisation is acting and it’s more hidden in it’s activities, but if you look at investigations in Germany and France, there have been several investigations, prosecutions and convictions connected to the PKK.” 

Ihrman said that the decision to prosecute now also had no connection to the terror participation law that came into force in Sweden on June 1st. 

“This is only extortion and attempts for terrorist financing, so there’s no connect to any crime of participation, so this new law has no impact on this.” 

The case has largely been built on investigations by the German Federal Police and the French security services, together with posts the suspect has made on social media, and messages found on his telephone. 

The man had been in contact with another Turkish citizen who was jailed in Germany in 2016 for PKK membership. The man has also been charged for attempted extortion and aggravated gun crimes. 

Sweden’s terror financing laws have so far only been used to charge members of Islamic terror groups such as IS. 

The case will start on June 20th. 

Turkey this week called on Sweden to take “concrete actions” in pursuing suspected PKK terrorists living in the country if it wants Turkish backing for its Nato membership. 

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MILITARY

EXPLAINED: What you need to know about Sweden’s new military spending report

Sweden's parliamentary defence commission on Friday recommended adding 52.8 billion kronor to the national defence budget by 2030, taking defence spending to 2.6 percent of GDP.

Published: 27 April 2024 13:18 CEST
EXPLAINED: What you need to know about Sweden's new military spending report

What is the Swedish Defence Commision? 

The Swedish Defence Commission is a cross-party forum which seeks to ensure broad political agreement around Sweden’s defence requirements. It brings together representatives of all eight parties in the Swedish parliament, with two each from the Moderates, Sweden Democrats and Social Democrats and one each for the other parties.

There are also advisers and experts from the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Finance, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Swedish Armed Forces, the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration and the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency. Members of the committee are supported by a secretariat comprising one principal secretary and five secretaries.

What is the report they have delivered? 

The committee on Friday delivered its final, report, “Strengthened defence capability, Sweden as an Ally“, meeting the deadline given by the country’s defence minister Pål Jonson when he ordered the committee to develop proposals for a new defence bill in December 2022, with a total of four reports, the first three of which were delivered in April 2023, June 2023, December 2023. 

What have they recommended? 

The committee have recommended that Sweden’s budget is increased from 119 billion kronor a year in 2024 to 185 billion kronor in 2030, which would bring total spending to 2.6 percent of Sweden’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). 

The committee said it agreed with the recommendations given by Micael Byden, Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces in November 2023, which were that Sweden should increase or improve: 

  • air defence and in particular its cooperation within NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD)
  • its ability to combat air, land and sea drones 
  • its integration with NATO’s command system
  • its logistics, so that it can provide Host Nation Support and serve as a base for other units from other Nato countries. 
  • its capacity to operate with military units outside Sweden’s borders 

But the committee also made additional recommendations beyong those given by the armed forces, calling for: 

  • two new army brigades, so that Sweden would have three mechanised brigades and one infantry brigade by 2030
  • a new Norrland Infantry Regiment,
  • an increase in the number of conscripts trained a year from the current level of 8,000 to 10,000 in 2030 and 12,000 in 2032, and possibly to 14,000 in 2035
  • a boost in Sweden’s air defence capability, particularly to counter drone attacks 
  • stocking up on additional ammunition, including air-to-air and cruise missiles, and spare parts 
  • 20 new companies and platoons dedicated to defending Sweden’s territories 
  • increased refresher courses for conscripts, extra funding of voluntary defence organisations, and expansion of the officer education programme

How will the cost of funding this military expansion be met? 

While they were agreed on what needed to be done, party representatives on the committee did not agree on how much needed to be spent or how ti should be financed. 

The Centre Party representative said that spending should be higher, comprising 3 percent of GDP. 

The representatives from the Social Democrats, Left Party, and Green Party, added a statement to the report when they called for a section on how the extra spending should be financed.  

Peter Hultqvist, who served as defence minister under the former Social Democrat government, called for a new beredskapsskatt, or “Readiness Tax” to fund the increase, saying it was disappointing that the committee had not been able to agree on financing. 

“This demand is so big that it risks pushing other pressing requirements out of government spending plans,” he said. “There is a risk that healthcare, education and elderly care will be hit.” 

But Ulf Kristersson, Sweden’s prime minister, rejected the idea of a new tax. 

“It’s no secret that the parties on the left always see reasons to raise taxes, and that’s the case this time as well, I assume. But that is not our way forward,” he said. “We must be able to prioritise Swedish defense, and I understand that there is now complete agreement that it is an important political task.” 

Anna Starbrink, a defence spokesperson for the Liberals, the smallest party in the government, said that the Swedish Defence Commission had not in the past been tasked with developing funding proposals. 

“This is a new idea from the opposition and from the Social Democrats’ side is about nothing more than forcing through a new tax hike through the defence commission, and that’s something the rest of us don’t want to go along with,” she said. 

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