Latest news with #Stenergard
Local Sweden
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Local Sweden
Sweden calls for EU sanctions targeting 'individual Israeli ministers'
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said that her country would work within the EU to push for sanctions against certain Israeli ministers over Israel's treatment of civilian Palestinians in Gaza. Advertisement "Since we do not see a clear improvement for the civilians in Gaza, we need to raise the tone further," Malmer Stenergard said in a statement to AFP. "We will therefore now also push for EU sanctions against individual Israeli ministers," she added. Stenergard said the sanctions should target "ministers who are pushing an illegal settlement policy and actively opposing a future two-state solution", with EU discussions determining which officials would be targeted. But she insisted that Sweden was a "friend of Israel". Her comments came as she met with EU counterparts in Brussels on Tuesday. The Israeli army stepped up its offensive at the weekend, vowing to defeat the Hamas militant group that runs Gaza after its October 7th, 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war. Aid trickled into the Gaza Strip on Monday for the first time in more than two months, following widespread condemnation of Israel's total blockade that has caused severe shortages of food and medicine. On Tuesday, a UN spokesman said it had received permission to send another "around 100" trucks of aid into Gaza. "In all of our contacts with the Israeli government, we have long demanded increased humanitarian access and have been very critical of the fact that they have not secured it," Stenergard said. Advertisement She also said Sweden was concerned with "how the Israeli government continues to escalate the situation, both in terms of statements and actions". Israel's security cabinet approved a plan this month to expand the military offensive, which one official said would include the "conquest" of Gaza and the displacement of its population. On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel "will take control of all the territory of the strip". Hamas's attack in October 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Militants also took 251 hostages, 57 of whom remain in Gaza including 34 the military says are dead. Gaza's health ministry said Tuesday that at least 3,427 people had been killed since Israel resumed strikes on March 18th, taking the war's overall toll to 53,573.
Local Sweden
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Local Sweden
Swedish prosecutors deny that spy arrests are linked to journalist held in Turkey
Swedish prosecutors have denied the intelligence service's arrests of a Kurdish representative and a Swedish diplomat are linked to a journalist facing 'terror' charges in Turkey. Advertisement Public broadcaster Sveriges Radio had alleged late on Wednesday that one of the suspects was connected to the case of Swedish journalist Joakim Medin, who is currently in custody in Turkey awaiting trial on a charge of belonging to a "terrorist" group. The Swedish Security Service (Säpo) confirmed to AFP that two people had recently been arrested for "aggravated unauthorised handling of secret information". They had since been released but were still suspects, Säpo said. It declined to disclose any details of the case. Sveriges Radio said one of the suspects in Säpo's case was a Swedish citizen who was a leading representative for Kurds in Northern Syria. The other was a diplomat at the foreign ministry. The broadcaster said it was unclear whether the arrests had been made as a result of a request from Turkey or not. But on Thursday, the Swedish Prosecution Authority published a statement refuting the media reports. "This is an individual case that has no links to other ongoing investigations or legal proceedings, in Sweden or in other countries," public prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist said, noting the investigation was in an early stage. Advertisement Turkey has accused Medin, who works for Swedish newspaper Dagens ETC, of being a member of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), an allegation he has denied. Medin was detained at Istanbul airport on March 27th when he flew in to cover mass protests gripping Turkey. A Turkish court last month handed the 40-year-old an 11-month suspended sentence on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In order to persuade Turkey to drop its veto when Sweden applied to join Nato, the countries made a deal that included increased collaboration on "terrorism". At the weekend, Säpo arrested a second diplomat on suspicions of spying. That diplomat was also released but remains a suspect, although the intelligence agency told AFP that was related to a separate investigation. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a Nato meeting in Turkey, Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard confirmed there were two investigations ongoing relating to government employees. "These are serious accusations but I can't say more than that," Stenergard said. Stenergard said she had spoken to her Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan on Wednesday about Medin's case.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Swedish spy agency arrests linked to reporter held in Turkey: media
STOCKHOLM: The Swedish intelligence service's recent arrests of a Kurdish community representative and a Swedish diplomat are linked to a Swedish journalist facing "terror" charges in Turkey, Swedish media reported. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The (Sapo) confirmed to AFP that two people had recently been arrested for "aggravated unauthorised handling of secret information". They have since been released but Sapo said they were still suspects and declined to disclose any details of the case. Public broadcaster Sveriges Radio reported late on Wednesday that one of the suspects was connected to the case of Swedish journalist , who is currently in custody in Turkey awaiting trial on a charge of belonging to a terrorist group. Ankara accuses Medin of being a member of the (PKK), an allegation he has denied. Medin, who works for Swedish newspaper Dagens ETC, was detained at Istanbul airport on March 27 when he flew in to cover mass protests gripping Turkey. A last month handed the 40-year-old an 11-month suspended sentence on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to Sveriges Radio, one of the suspects in Sapo's case is a Swedish citizen who is a leading representative for Kurds in Northern Syria. The broadcaster noted that it was not known if the arrest had been made as a result of a request from Turkey or not. In order to persuade Turkey to drop its veto when Sweden applied to join NATO, the countries made a deal that included increased collaboration on "terrorism". The other suspect in the case was a diplomat employed at Sweden's foreign ministry, according to the broadcaster. At the weekend, Sapo arrested another diplomat suspected of spying. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The diplomat was also released but remains a suspect, although the intelligence agency told AFP that was related to a separate investigation. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Turkey, Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard confirmed there were two investigations ongoing relating to government employees. "These are serious accusations but I can't say more than that," Stenergard said. Stenergard said she had spoken to her Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan on Wednesday about Medin's case.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Swedish government proposes to contribute fighter jets to NATO in Poland
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -NATO's newest member Sweden plans to contribute up to eight Jas Gripen fighter jets to the defence alliance's air policing in Poland, Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said on Thursday. Stenergard said a day before the one-year anniversary of Sweden's accession that its government proposes to participate in NATO air policing, and the protection of logistics operations for support to Ukraine, in Poland. "We propose that Sweden contribute a maximum of eight JAS Gripen with associated personnel, including combat command and support units," she told a press conference. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. "In addition, the government proposes that Sweden contribute air and maritime surveillance capabilities and airborne transport capabilities," she added. It would be the first time Sweden contributes fighter jets to NATO operations stationed in a country other than Sweden. Sweden joined NATO on March 7, 2024 as a result of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
