https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/swedish-mother-wanted-radiation-free-meters-vattenfall-responded-with-forced-installation/

Sweden

Swedish mother wanted radiation-free meters – Vattenfall responded with forced installation

Single mother Cilla and her son moved to the countryside in Dalarna to reduce exposure to radiation that makes them both very ill.
For the same reason, she has been in contact with Vattenfall over the summer to inform the company and try to keep her old electricity meter, or a new one that is not wireless.
Disturbing images show how the energy giant responds by hiring an eight-person team, including security guards and a locksmith, to forcibly install the wireless smart meter in the family's home.

Published December 20, 2024 – By Editorial staff

Photo: Private

Vattenfall sent out a team of eight people to force the “smart meter” on Cilla's home.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Single mother Cilla and her son have moved to the countryside due to health issues caused by exposure to certain types of radiation. Despite her informing Vattenfall, a state-owned Swedish energy company, of this, the company decided, against her explicit wishes, to forcibly install a new wireless electricity meter on her property.

Disturbing footage shows the electricity company setting out with a team of eight people, including a locksmith, two security guards and the support of the Swedish Enforcement Authority, to force their way into Cilla's home.

Cilla says that people are particularly sensitive to radiation from wireless technology and react with severe symptoms at levels that most people do not even notice. The symptoms she can suffer from exposure to such radiation emitted by cell towers, mobile phones, wireless networks and so-called smart meters include headaches, nosebleeds, rashes, eczema, heart arrhythmias, insomnia, vomiting, nausea, tinnitus and blood in the urine at higher levels. This is why Cilla chose to move from Stockholm to the countryside to Garpenberg in Dalarna, where she and her son have now lived for several years.

During the summer, she was informed by her electricity company, Vattenfall, that they wanted to replace the previous electricity meter with a new so-called "smart electricity meter", which will transmit data on, among other things, electricity consumption using wireless communication via the 4G network. In conversations and letters to Vattenfall, Cilla has informed the company that she is not opposed to the replacement of the electricity meter, but she is opposed to the installation of a microwave transmitter because she and her son cannot tolerate this radiation. She has also clearly emphasized to Vattenfall that there are other technical solutions, such as transmitting information via the electricity grid or via fiber.

Vattenfall responded by sending security guards

Even in spite of the provisions of the Environmental Code, which states that the best possible technology should be used if there is reason to believe that there is a risk to human health, Vattenfall chose to force its way into Cilla's home to install the wireless transmitter, along with a new electricity meter, one day in mid-August. To gain access to the family's property, Vattenfall hired three people from the Swedish Enforcement Authority, a locksmith and two security guards to forcibly install the wireless transmitter. Two fitters from Vattenfall without name tags also showed up. In total, eight people entered Cilla's property against her will.

She describes it as a shocking experience.

– I couldn’t even imagine in my wildest dreams that we wouldn’t be heard and put a stop to the madness, Cilla told The Nordic Times.

Can no longer live in the house

After the installation of the microwave transmitter, Cilla and her son have suffered from the very symptoms they were worried about: headaches, nosebleeds, difficulty sleeping, swallowing food and other acute symptoms. The family cannot now live in the house or be out in the yard without getting sick and she expresses great despair at what the electricity company, with the support of the authorities, has forced on them.

– To be subjected to this legal abuse that violates several laws including human rights, the land code, property law, the environmental code and face this cold-blooded ignorance, despite the threat to our lives, feels like something out of a horror movie and not out of our seemingly safe life in Sweden. The right to decide over our lives and avoid being forcibly irradiated applies, regardless of what a company like Vattenfall has on its agenda, says Cilla about the incident.

Vattenfall refers to the fact that it is "forced" to change its electricity meters due to the new regulation on functional requirements for electricity meters adopted by the government in 2018. However, there is no requirement in the regulation that electricity meters must transmit information using wireless technology.

Vattenfall: "Complies with EU health and safety requirements"

Vattenfall's press service states to TNT that they do not want to comment on individual cases, but confirms via email that further back in time, about 15-20 years ago, a dialog was conducted with the Swedish Association of Electricity Hypersensitive People, where they have since had agreements with some customers regarding manual meter reading. However, this will cease completely after the turn of the year to 2025. This refers to "laws and regulations" on the website of the Energy Markets Inspectorate (a government agency for which Ebba Busch (KD) is currently the responsible minister), an agency that in turn falls under the Ministry of Climate and Business.

"From 2025, all of Sweden's electricity meters must meet new statutory functional requirements and the new regulations no longer support this type of customer agreement that handles manual meter reading", writes Sofia Quant, Head of Stakeholder and Impact Communication at Vattenfall.

The Environmental Code stipulates that the best possible technology should be used, especially if "there are reasons to assume nuisance" to human health. Do you offer alternatives to eliminate potential health impacts of wireless technology from your electricity meters?

"Our electricity meter, like other electrical products, must meet certain requirements and we follow the laws and regulations in place regarding safety and health. The electricity meter is CE marked, which means that the manufacturer certifies that the products meet EU health and safety requirements. The electricity meter is also within the reference values from the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority", continues Sofia Quant, who adds that "no other assessments are made".

"All electricity meters from Vattenfall Eldistribution are type-approved and properly installed to meet all regulatory requirements. We do not make any further assessments in our role as a power grid company. Customers can always contact us with questions related to meter replacements and their electrical installations", says Quant.

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https://nordictimes.com/environment/the-great-moose-migration-reduces-stress-and-anxiety/

Environment

“The Great Moose Migration” reduces stress and anxiety

Published yesterday 3:16 pm – By Editorial staff

Photo: iStock/pum_eva

Editorial staff
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Swedish public broadcaster SVT's nature program helps millions of viewers relax and feel connected to nature – despite the experience being digital, shows a study from SLU.

The Great Moose Migration is a program that annually livestreams the spring migration of moose in Kullberg in Ångermanland, northern Sweden. For 20 days, viewers follow the moose as they travel through forests and swim across the Ångerman River. The program attracts millions of Swedes each year, as well as viewers in other countries.

Now researchers at SLU (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences) have examined how viewers are affected by the moose program. Through surveys distributed via social media and the program's live chat, over 2,000 people have described their experiences. The results, published in the journal People and Nature, show that the program creates a strong sense of calm and connection to nature.

— Viewers describe how the sound of wind, birds, and rain gives a feeling of presence, and how the slow rhythm of the broadcast helps them unwind. Many experience that the program reminds them of childhood memories, previous nature experiences, or places they have a personal connection to, says researcher Minh-Xuan Truong in a press release.

Relieves anxiety

The program is a typical example of so-called "slow TV", where viewers simply follow the moose at nature's pace without any narrator, quick cuts, or dramatic music.

What makes the experience so realistic is primarily the natural sounds. The river's murmur, birdsong, and the whisper of wind create a feeling of actually being at the location. Some viewers even reported that they could smell the rain or pine forest.

The fact that the program is unedited is also appreciated. Sometimes animals are visible, sometimes not – just like when hiking in the forest in real life.

The study shows that the silence, slow images, and nature's beauty function as a break from everyday stress. Several participants in the survey described how the program relieves headaches and anxiety, while others emphasized the calming effect of seeing animals in their natural environment.

Does not replace real nature experiences

Viewers generally report feeling a strong connection to nature. The feeling was particularly pronounced among people who frequently spend time outdoors and are environmentally engaged. The connection to nature also tended to increase with age. The live chat during the program is also appreciated, as many experience that it creates a sense of community.

The researchers emphasize that digital nature experiences can never replace being outside yourself, but that they can function as an important complement.

— Digital outdoor life seems to be able to promote recovery and connection to nature in a similar way to experiences in actual nature. It can of course never replace real nature experiences, but it can be an important complement, especially for people who have difficulty getting outside, said Truong.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/swedish-public-health-agency-wants-to-classify-red-fly-agaric-as-narcotics/

Sweden

Swedish Public Health Agency wants to classify red fly agaric as narcotics

Published yesterday 11:44 am – By Editorial staff

Photo: Andriy Nestruiev/Unsplash

Editorial staff
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Products containing muscimol from fly agaric mushrooms have become increasingly popular and are often sold as natural medicine. Now the Swedish Public Health Agency (Folkhälsomyndigheten) wants the government to stop the trade by classifying the substance as narcotics.

The fly agaric has long been regarded as a symbol of poisonous mushrooms, but it is not quite as toxic as the destroying angel (Amanita virosa) – which is deadly. Historically, the fly agaric is said to have been used by Siberian shamans, among others, to alter their state of consciousness in order to establish contact with the spirit world in rituals.

In Sweden during the 1800s, people hardly ate any mushrooms at all, but the fly agaric was still considered useful as it was used as an insecticide against flies, from which it also got its name. When food became scarce for Swedes, authorities tried to encourage more mushroom consumption, which briefly led to a group of mushroom enthusiasts claiming that the fly agaric was edible, something that Populär Historia has written about. During the 1970s, the mushroom began to acquire its bad reputation after new knowledge about mushroom species began to take shape.

Poses a risk

Muscimol is a psychoactive substance that can produce sedative and hallucinogenic effects, and today the substance is often promoted by so-called alternative health groups as a remedy for sleep disorders, among other things. So-called retreats are even organized where participants ingest the mushroom in ceremonial settings.

Now the Swedish Public Health Agency wants to classify the substance as narcotics. According to the agency, the substance is currently available for purchase as candy and in e-cigarettes through various online stores, and they emphasize that the mushroom is poisonous and that people are exposing themselves to risk. In addition to relatively common symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, and hallucinations, there are reports of people falling into comas after taking the preparation.

— It has properties that pose a danger to people's lives and health and which can be assumed to be used for the purpose of achieving intoxication, said Adli Assali, head of unit at the Swedish Public Health Agency, to P3 Nyheter.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned trade in muscimol at the end of last year. This summer, the Swedish Public Health Agency initiated its own investigation following a request from the Swedish Customs Service (Tullverket), which had seized the substance at border controls. The Swedish government will now decide whether the substance should be classified as narcotics in Sweden.

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/swedish-prison-service-opposes-plan-to-lower-criminal-age-to-13/

Sweden

Swedish Prison Service opposes plan to lower criminal age to 13

Published November 12, 2025 – By Editorial staff

Photo credit: The Swedish Prison and Probation Service

Editorial staff
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The Swedish government's proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 13 is facing strong criticism. In its consultation response, the Swedish Prison and Probation Service (Kriminalvården) states that it is not equipped to receive such young children in prison and that they should be cared for in other ways.

By July 1 next year, the Swedish Prison and Probation Service is expected to have built prison units for children where both 15–17-year-olds and 13–14-year-olds convicted of serious crimes will serve sentences. At the same time, places at the special youth homes (SiS homes, state-run institutions for youth care) will be phased out.

In the consultation response, the Prison and Probation Service writes that imprisonment at a young age can lead to negative consequences, and that children "as young as 13 should be cared for in other ways".

— These concerns become more significant the younger the children in question are, says Elisabeth Lager, acting legal director, to TT.

The Prison and Probation Service is clear that the organization does not have the required resources. It lacks both the expertise and suitable facilities to handle children as young as 13 within prisons, detention centers, or community-based sanctions such as probation. Practical issues such as education must also be addressed. At the same time, it is noted that the level of the age of criminal responsibility is ultimately a political matter.

Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer writes that the government will "carefully analyze all consultation responses". He emphasizes that society must "care for children in a completely different way than today" in cases of the most serious crimes, both to protect victims and society, but also the children themselves.

Editorial staff
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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/syrian-man-convicted-of-rape-remains-in-sweden-six-years-after-deportation-order/

Sweden

Syrian man convicted of rape remains in Sweden six years after deportation order

Migrant violence

Published November 10, 2025 – By Editorial staff

Photo montage. Photo: private, Police

The tent at the Emmaboda Festival 2017 where the Syrian migrant Noraldin Alhamamy, now known as "Emil Jordensson," raped a 15-year-old girl.---**Context note:** Emmaboda Festival is a music festival held in Emmaboda, a small town in southern Sweden. The case refers to a criminal incident that occurred at the festival in 2017.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

A migrant who was sentenced to deportation for aggravated rape of a 15-year-old girl at a music festival in 2017 is still in Sweden. During this time, the 30-year-old has committed new crimes and ran as a candidate in the Swedish church elections this summer. Now Swedish Migration Minister Johan Forssell calls the situation "sick" and promises legislative changes.

The 30-year-old Syrian citizen Noraldin Alhamamy came to Sweden in 2015 and received a permanent residence permit in the fall of 2016. Just six days before that decision, he was convicted of his first crime in the country: sexual molestation, reports Fria Tider.

In the summer of 2017, he committed the crime that would lead to deportation. At the Emmaboda Festival in southern Sweden, he raped a 15-year-old girl in her tent. He threatened her with a knife and covered her mouth during the assault. The girl developed post-traumatic stress disorder and has described how she lives in constant fear and anxiety.

— He has destroyed my life, the girl said during the trial.

The man, who now goes by the name Emil Jordensson, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison and deportation with a ten-year entry ban. However, the deportation has not been carried out because he has claimed several obstacles to enforcement.

Claimed conversion and military service

First, he claimed that he risked being called up for military service in the Syrian army. Later, he claimed that he had converted to Christianity, which he argued would put him in danger in his home country. His case has been heard in the Migration Court of Appeal and has become precedent-setting for other courts. Despite being denied refugee status due to the severity of his crime, he remains in Sweden more than six years after the verdict.

During this time, he has committed additional crimes. Last year, he was convicted of aggravated assault against a public official after making a revenge visit to a police officer who had arrested him, as well as for assaulting his wife, car theft, and harassment. The crimes were deemed to have been committed during a psychosis and he was sentenced to probation with supervision.

This summer, it was revealed in the regional newspaper Smålandsposten that the man was running as a candidate in the Church elections, which was possible because he is registered in the Swedish population register. He withdrew his candidacy after the revelation.

New legislation planned

— It is of course sick. It is completely unacceptable, says Migration Minister Johan Forssell to the Bonnier newspaper Expressen.

The government will propose a new law called "tolerated stay" to handle people in this situation. They will then not receive temporary residence permits, be prohibited from leaving a certain area, have reporting obligations, and not be able to access Swedish welfare or register in the population register.

The man has been in detention since September after the Swedish Migration Agency decided that he cannot be held in regular detention due to his criminal record.

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editorial@nordictimes.com

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