Sweden’s anti-terrorism step, which has a crisis with Turkey
To assuage Turkey’s objections to NATO membership, Sweden has announced that it will tighten its laws on membership of a terrorist organization, months after the anti-terrorism agreement signed last year.
The new law, which the Swedish government plans to implement in June, will expand the powers of official institutions to detain and prosecute people who support terrorist organizations.
“We are talking about a massive expansion in the scope of acts that are considered criminal,” Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer told reporters. Strommer explained that it is very difficult to take legal action against a person under current laws, and that the person’s actions for this will include a specific terrorist act and any type of contribution to terrorist acts.
Strommer said the attack in which five people lost their lives when a vehicle plowed into a crowd in Stockholm in 2017 revealed the need for tougher laws in Sweden. The justice minister said Sweden has become a legitimate target and the threat to the country has increased due to the influence of far-right Danish politician Rasmus Paludan’s Quran burning in Stockholm last month and other elements.
As part of the agreement signed in June to address Turkey’s concerns about Sweden’s and Finland’s NATO membership, Stockholm pledged to increase cooperation with Ankara in the fight against terrorism.
After a series of demonstrations in Stockholm, including the Paludan demonstration, Turkey suspended NATO talks last month. (Reuters)
Source: Sozcu
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
