Sweden’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs is reeling after the sudden death of a senior diplomat who had recently been arrested on suspicion of espionage.
The man, in his 50s, had spent most of his professional life in the Foreign Service and was back in Stockholm from a rotation assignment abroad when he was arrested last Sunday. He was released two days later, but never returned home. On Friday morning, employees were informed that he had been found dead.
“Unfortunately, we can confirm that an employee of the Foreign Service has died. Out of consideration for the relatives, we will not go into any further details,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Several ministry employees spoke to Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet on the condition of anonymity to express their sorrow, disbelief, and mounting frustration at the news.
“I just talked to someone who was crying and said ‘they killed him,’” one source said. Another added, “The cards have to be put on the table. The investigation must be completed. Imagine if he were innocent and was subjected to this.”
The diplomat, whose identity has not been officially disclosed, was reportedly being investigated for espionage. His lawyer, Anton Strand, strongly criticized the arrest and confirmed that his client had denied all allegations. In addition to the espionage suspicion, the man had also been reported to the police for assault and misconduct.
Sources within the Foreign Ministry describe a workplace under intense pressure, with some calling it the ministry’s “worst crisis in decades.” The situation has been further compounded by the recent unrelated arrest and release of another ministry employee, contributing to what staff describe as a climate of fear and uncertainty.
Criticism has also been directed at Sweden’s political leadership. A source within the government offices told Aftonbladet, “This is the Foreign Ministry’s worst crisis in decades, and we have a prime minister and a foreign minister who are completely absent and unable to lead in a crisis. This is a really serious situation. It’s sadness, frustration, and disappointment. People are so sad.”
Neither Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson nor Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard have directly addressed the substance of the situation, with the foreign minister issuing just a brief statement: “I have received the sad news that an employee at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has died. My thoughts are with the employee’s family, friends, and colleagues. With regard to the deceased, I will not go into further details.”
In a separate but possibly connected development, reports have emerged suggesting the diplomat’s arrest may be linked to the abrupt resignation of newly appointed national security adviser Tobias Thyberg. Thyberg, who is openly gay, stepped down less than a day after his appointment following revelations that he had sent intimate photos via the LGBTQ dating app Grindr, according to the Samnytt news site.
Half an hour after Prime Minister Kristersson announced Thyberg’s appointment, the prime minister’s state secretary received an anonymous email from a ProtonMail account claiming to be from “Jan Knutsson,” Sweden’s NATO ambassador. The email contained details of Thyberg’s online activities. According to information obtained by Samnytt, the now-deceased diplomat may have been the source of the email. He was also gay.
Employees within the Foreign Ministry are now calling for transparency and accountability. “It’s a tragedy if a person who served this country for decades was wrongly accused and died under that cloud,” one official said. “We need answers.”
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