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New arrest in Mikael Andersson murder case

A man has been arrested in connection with the murder of Mikael Andersson from Lidköping. The police are now holding five people in custody in connection with the murder of the 19-year-old whose body has still not been found.

Published: 25 May 2008 10:12 CEST

Mikael Andersson, from Lidköping in western Sweden, disappeared from a party in Axvall outside of Skara last weekend.

His family reported him missing on Tuesday. Following an inspection of his battered car police began a murder investigation on Thursday.

Västra Götaland police announced in a press release on Friday that they are certain that Mikael Andersson has been murdered and that they had arrested four people in connection with the investigation.

“We have strong indications that he has been murdered,” confirmed police spokesperson Thomas Fuxborg.

One man is in custody on suspicion of murder and two further men suspected of complicity to murder. A woman has been arrested on suspicion of harbouring a criminal.

A further, fifth person, was arrested on Saturday. He is being detained on suspicion of complicity to murder.

All five deny the charges.

Police are continuing the search for the body of Mikael Andersson over the weekend. Police have confirmed that they have identified the murder scene but have not released any further details of the crime or the roles played by the five suspects.

Over a thousand people join protest against Stockholm attack

The demonstration, which was organised by the Left Party and the Green Party together with Expo, an anti-extremist magazine, was held outside the Moment theatre, where masked assailants attacked a lecture organised by the two parties on Wednesday.

In the attack, the assailants – described as Nazis by Expo – let off smoke grenades and assaulted several people, three of whom were hospitalised.

“Let’s say it how it is: this was a terror attack and that is something we can never accept,” said Amanda Lind, who is expected to be voted in as the joint leader of the Green Party on Sunday.

She said that those who had attended the lecture had hoped to swap ideas about how to combat racism.

“Instead they had to experience smoke bombs, assault and were forced to think ‘have they got weapons’?. The goal of this attack was to use violence to generate fear and silence people,” she said.

EXPLAINED: What we know about the attack on a Swedish anti-fascist meeting

More than a thousand people gathered to protest the attack on a theatre in Gubbängen, Stockholm. Photo: Oscar Olsson/TT

Nooshi Dadgostar, leader of the Left Party, said that that society needed to stand up against this type of extreme-right violence.

“We’re here today to show that which should be obvious: we will not give up, we will stand up for ourselves, and we shall never be silenced by racist violence,” said said.

Sofia Zwahlen, one of the protesters at the demonstration, told the DN newspaper that it felt positive that so many had turned up to show their opposition to the attacks.

“It feels extremely good that there’s been this reaction, that we are coming together. I’m always a little worried about going to this sort of demonstration. But this feels safe.”

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