Sweden

Sweden: New proposed law could see Swedish media prosecuted for espionage, for negative impact on Sweden, EU etc…….


 

I carry no water for the Swedish media, they’re loathsome as much as the Swedish government, but even in this one has to side with the lesser of two loathesomes. 

 

It’s amusing however to see the Swedish government squirm over negative press, domestically and abroad, while they thoroughly enjoyed the regular vitriolic lambasting and demonization of the Jewish state of Israel over the many decades.

 

Proposed new law could see Swedish media prosecuted for espionage

Proposed new law could see Swedish media prosecuted for espionage
A selection of Swedish newspapers. Photo: Hasse Holmberg/Scanpix Sweden/TT

Swedish media outlets who uncover news which damages Sweden’s relations abroad could be charged with spying, if a controversial law gets the go-ahead.

A new law against foreign espionage has been proposed by a government inquiry, which reasoned that some reporting by Swedish mass media could have a negative impact on Sweden’s work with other countries and organizations such as Nato, the United Nations, and the European Union.

 

The inquiry looks at improving the protection for sensitive data in Sweden generally, and suggests the introduction of a new law, ‘gross foreign espionage’, with a potential jail sentence of up to eight years. Less serious crimes would be classified as foreign espionage, with a punishment of up to four years in jail.

 

The aspect of the inquiry which is controversial is the inclusion of news media. Under the new proposal, publications which reveal secret data could be viewed as guilty of foreign espionage.

 

The report noted that restrictions are already in place to prevent media spreading sensitive data, and therefore claimed that the proposal would be unlikely to affect Sweden’s constitutional laws of freedom of the press and freedom of expression.

 

The Local

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