Friday, October 31, 2025
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Friday, October 31, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

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This article was published 2 years ago

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/many-pkk-flags-in-no-to-nato-demonstration-in-stockholm/

Sweden

PKK flags fly high at “No to NATO” manifestation in Stockholm

Updated June 8, 2023, Published June 5, 2023 – By Editorial staff
The procession on its way from Norra Bantorget.
3 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

– No to NATO, yes to peace. No Erdoğan laws in Sweden, Erdoğan upside down, were the slogans during Sunday's No to NATO demonstration in Stockholm, organized by the network Allians mot Nato, which featured a sea of PKK flags among the sympathizers.

– Not a soldier, not a rifle, not a penny for NATO's military! curious onlookers could hear echoing in Stockholm's inner city on Sunday afternoon during the No to NATO demonstration. According to police estimates, the demonstration attracted between 500 and 1000 participants.

The background to the demonstration is Sweden's politically infected application to the US-led military alliance NATO. The formally non-partisan demonstration was in fact dominated by representatives from left-wing political parties - including the Left Party's Daniel Riazat who was one of the speakers.

Daniel Riazat of Sweden's Left Party was one of the speakers at Sunday's demonstration.

In his speech, Riazat was careful to point out that the Left Party "was the only party that voted against the Swedish application to NATO" - which is a half-truth at best, as the Green Party also voted against membership.

Our local correspondent could also report that some of the participants were representatives of radical left-wing organizations Rojavakommittérna, Syndikalisterna, Rättvisepartiet Socialisterna and Left Party youth movement Ung Vänster.

"Want to sabotage Sweden's application"

A representative of one of the parties present with whom our our correspondent spoke did not hide the fact that they were there "to prevent Swedish membership of NATO - by all means possible". The same representative clarified that "we choose no other side than that of peace".

Several participants carried flags and placards with the symbol of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and flags depicting Abdullah Öcalan, the founder and leader of the PKK. Strong rhetoric was directed at NATO's outgoing Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, US President Joe Biden and, in particular, Turkey's re-elected President Erdoğan.

Protesters marching towards Mynttorget in Stockholm.

Yesterday's demonstration could potentially delay, at least in the short term, Sweden getting a green NATO light from Turkey. According to reports, Turkey has tried to get Swedish authorities to stop the demonstration, but this did not happen. Several demonstrations in Sweden have been criticized by Turkish President Erdoğan, who has repeatedly made comments such as "Swedish authorities must prevent PKK members from demonstrating if they are serious about the NATO process".

Carl Bildt comments

On social media, both sides of the argument have been very vocal since yesterday. Moderate MP Gustaf Göthberg, for example, called Daniel Riazat's participation a "security risk".

His tweet reads: "With his vitriolic participation in today's PKK demonstrations, knowing that Sweden is in the worst security situation in decades, Daniel Riazat's (V) immature obstruction of Swedish NATO membership is a direct security risk to Sweden."

Sweden's former prime minister, NATO advocate Carl Bildt, who recently visited Ankara as the Swedish representative of the Swedish government, was quick to condemn.

However, the participants in the demonstration do not seem to be deterred by statements such as these, and say that the Swedish government and parliament are "doing whatever it takes to join a wartime alliance, thereby bowing to Turkey and dancing to Erdoğan's tune".

The manifestation ended at Mynttorget, just next to the Parliament building, with further speeches and chants. Several of the participants were unashamedly and vocally open about supporting the PKK in "its fight against the Turkish dictatorship and its dictator Erdoğan".

The manifestation ended at Mynttorget.

Our reporter had a chat with representatives of the police who said that the whole thing had been "calm and tidy" without, at least at the time, any reported disturbances.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Rojava is a now effectively autonomous region in north-eastern Syria, south of Turkey, with significant Kurdish influence.

Rojavakomittéerna (The Rojava Committees) describe themselves as "a network for solidarity and exchange with the revolutionary movement in Kurdistan". Their focus is described as "organizing activists in Sweden and coordinating projects aimed at supporting the struggle in Rojava".

The PKK is a Kurdish militant organization primarily based in southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq. Since 1984, it has pursued autonomy and increased political and cultural rights for Kurds within Turkey.

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/swedish-police-warn-of-growing-online-abuse-targeting-children/

Sweden

Swedish police warn of growing online abuse targeting children

Published today 11:41 am – By Editorial staff
Research shows that children who have been subjected to internet-related sexual offenses often suffer from serious mental health problems.
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Children and young people are increasingly falling victim to sexual abuse and extortion on the internet. Cyber investigators are calling for more education and adult presence as countermeasures – not bans on apps and games.

Innocent chat conversations in gaming environments and on social platforms are increasingly turning into sexual exploitation and extortion of children and adolescents, and Swedish police are seeing a clear increase in internet-related sexual crimes against young people.

Alexandra Lindgren, police assistant and cyber investigator within the unit for internet-related sexual abuse of children (Isöb) in Region East, believes that the solution does not lie in banning digital platforms. Instead, better education is needed.

— We need to talk with children and young people and really make them understand that they need to be critical about who they choose to talk to. Often there isn't that mindset to question things, she says.

Certain platforms recur in police investigations: Snapchat, WhatsApp, Discord and various gaming environments. What begins as a harmless conversation can quickly develop into something dangerous.

— Children lack consequential thinking. In certain apps, such as Snapchat, there are different points to earn by adding many new friends. Then you don't reflect on who is behind the usernames, says Lindgren.

"Feel bad and ashamed"

It's not only adults who commit the abuse – young people also victimize each other. In some cases, the young people themselves take the initiative, driven by a desire for expensive branded clothes or other status symbols. They send images in exchange for money or products, without understanding that the images can then be used for extortion.

Girls are the most common victim group, but boys are also subjected to abuse to a greater extent than statistics show. The dark figure is also significant because boys have a harder time talking about the abuse.

The most common crimes are exploitation of children for sexual posing and child pornography offenses. Research shows that victims often develop mental health issues, partly because the abuse lacks a clear end – the images can be spread further and the victims never know who has seen them.

— They often feel very bad and ashamed. They don't want mom and dad to find out. Some also get scolded when it comes out, which in my opinion is the wrong way to go. It's much better to talk and listen and support, says Alexandra Lindgren.

The police have been criticized for investigations taking too long. Lindgren confirms the problem and points to bottlenecks in digital analysis and dependence on external parties such as internet service providers.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/swedish-government-moves-forward-with-plans-for-a-swedish-cia/

Sweden

Swedish government moves forward with plans for a “Swedish CIA”

Published October 29, 2025 – By Editorial staff
Critical voices compare the new agency with the American CIA.
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The Swedish government is moving forward with plans for a new civilian intelligence service directly under the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The idea is that the agency will strengthen Sweden's analytical capacity regarding events and alleged threats abroad and complement the military intelligence service.

A special investigator, Annika Brändström, has been appointed to prepare the establishment of the new intelligence service, which according to the government's press release is to be operational on January 1, 2027.

The proposal is based on an investigation led by former Swedish Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, who proposed that parts of the military intelligence service should be transferred to a civilian agency under the government.

– It will be an independent agency that, among other things, handles collection through technical means and with open information, and will be under the government like all other agencies, said Bildt at a press conference together with Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson, earlier this summer.

According to the press release, the new agency will meet the Government Offices' intelligence needs and work closely with the Swedish Armed Forces, FRA (the Swedish National Defence Radio Establishment), the Swedish Security Service, and other relevant actors within the total defense.

"Broader security threats"

Today, much of the intelligence operations are handled by the Swedish Security Service (Säkerhetspolisen) and the military intelligence service Must, which provide the defense forces and government with analyses.

According to Carl Bildt, this system has shown shortcomings, including in the assessments before the war in Ukraine escalated in 2022.

– We have seen a broader security threat against Sweden, just take cyber threats, terrorist threats, technology threats, investment controls and hostile state actors using different methods. We have not had quite as much control over things in our immediate area, which lie outside the immediate military sphere, as we should have had, he claimed in connection with the summer press conference.

"Swedish CIA" or British model?

Critics have compared the new intelligence agency to the notorious American intelligence service CIA.

– Well, it's difficult to make that comparison. It's more a larger version of what the British have with their Joint Intelligence Organisation. An independent agency that is collecting to some extent, but primarily analyzing, said Bildt.

Sweden's former prime minister emphasizes that the international community will perceive the agency as a significant increase in ambition.

– We have tripled resources over the past 15 years, there has been a continued expansion of this activity. It is an organization that is then a bit more similar to what most other countries already have.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/swedish-government-seeks-mandatory-deportation-for-prison-sentences/

Sweden

Swedish government seeks mandatory deportation for prison sentences

Migration crisis in Europe

Published October 29, 2025 – By Editorial staff
Swedish Migration Minister Johan Forssell and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The Moderate Party-led Swedish government is close to introducing a law that would force prosecutors to demand deportation when foreign nationals are sentenced to prison. The penalty threshold will be lowered from six months, which is expected to dramatically increase the number of deportations in coming years.

Migration Minister Johan Forssell (Moderate Party) confirms that the government will soon submit the legislative proposal making it mandatory to demand deportation for persons sentenced to prison. The reform could increase the number of deportations sixfold in the first years.

The announcement comes after international criticism that a man who raped the then 16-year-old Meya in Skellefteå, northern Sweden, last year was not deported.

— I was very moved when I read about this case, both as a minister but above all as a parent, Forssell tells state-funded broadcaster Radio Sweden.

He emphasizes that the system is failing:

— Crime victims should receive justice and the system should be fair, but there is a systemic flaw here. I want to be honest in saying that this systemic flaw means that it is rather the perpetrators' well-being that is taken into account.

— People are still allowed to remain in Sweden despite having committed very serious crimes, for example rape, and I find that offensive, the minister adds.

"Toughest regulations in the Nordic region"

The upcoming legislation is based on an inquiry that the government received in May. The proposal means that prosecutors must demand deportation for prison sentences, and courts must decide on deportation when the conditions are met.

The penalty threshold will be lowered from six months to all prison sentences, meaning that even crimes such as assault and fraud could lead to deportation. According to the inquiry, the number of deportations could increase by 500–600 percent during the first years.

— Sweden will thus have the toughest regulations in the entire Nordic region, Forssell claims, adding that the government also wants to review the EU rules that make deportations more difficult.

— I hope that we will be successful there, but it is a more complicated process than Swedish legislation, which we control ourselves.

Lack of credibility

Although many agree that immigrant criminals should be deportable, critics question the migration minister's credibility and ask how many deportations will actually be carried out.

During the Moderate Party's previous period in government under Fredrik Reinfeldt (Swedish Prime Minister 2006-2014), Sweden's already generous mass immigration was expanded, which according to critics has led to many of the people who may now be deported, or their parents, being granted entry to Sweden in the first place.

Despite the sudden shift in rhetoric, many believe it is highly unlikely that extensive deportation programs will be implemented under a Moderate Party-led government.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/youth-prisons-for-13-year-olds-to-open-this-summer-in-sweden/

Sweden

Youth prisons for 13-year-olds to open this summer in Sweden

organized crime

Published October 28, 2025 – By Editorial staff
The number of young people convicted of serious crimes has increased dramatically in recent years.
3 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The Swedish government has tasked the Swedish Prison and Probation Service (Kriminalvården) with preparing special youth prisons for 13- and 14-year-olds who commit serious crimes.

The purpose is to adapt the sentence execution to the child's age and to separate younger offenders from older youth, with the prison units set to be ready by summer.

The Swedish Prison and Probation Service has previously been tasked with preparing youth prisons for 15–17-year-olds convicted of serious crimes. Now the assignment is being expanded to also include criminals aged 13 and 14, in connection with the government's proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility for serious crimes.

In August 2023, the government received the report A review of regulations on custodial sentences for young people, which proposes that secure youth care be replaced with imprisonment in special youth units at existing facilities.

– Lowering the age of criminal responsibility for the most serious crimes is needed for several reasons. It is important to strengthen redress for crime victims, to protect society and to help children leave the criminal path. This also provides a five-year window for preventive work to catch up with today's reality. The Prison and Probation Service is now tasked with preparing operations in the best way to receive the youngest target group, says Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer.

Age-appropriate adaptation

The Prison and Probation Service must adapt both facilities and operations based on the children's age. Younger children must be kept separate from older youth, and operations must comply with the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

– When 13–14-year-olds are running around with automatic weapons, it must be met with society's full force. To protect others, they must be able to be locked up, and by lowering the age of criminal responsibility, we open up the police's toolbox. It gives us a chance to both stop continued violence and turn around the development for these children before it's too late, says Henrik Vinge (Sweden Democrats), chair of the justice committee in the Swedish Parliament.

Torsten Elofsson, legal policy spokesperson for the Christian Democrats, points out that the need is urgent:

– The number of children, as young as 13–14 years old, committing serious violent crimes has increased dramatically. Measures to prevent this and to also take action after completed crimes are a must. At the same time, the execution needs to be adapted based on the perpetrator's age. It is welcome that the Prison and Probation Service is now tasked with examining how operations need to be adapted.

Martin Melin (Liberals) agrees:

– I have great confidence in the Prison and Probation Service and how they solve the strained situation they have, not least with the shortage of places. I am convinced that they will also be able to ensure that the 13 and 14-year-olds sentenced to prison will be taken care of in the best way.

Planned facilities and timeline

The Prison and Probation Service is planning special youth units for boys at the facilities in Högsbo, Rosersberg, Österåker, Kumla, Skenäs and Täby. For girls, units are planned at Ystad and Sagsjön. Implementation will occur in stages, and not all units will be operational from July 1, 2026.

On September 24, the Ministry of Justice sent out for consultation a draft legislative proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 13 years for crimes with a minimum sentence of four years' imprisonment or more, as well as for attempts, preparation and conspiracy to commit such crimes. The proposal is currently time-limited to five years.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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