Sweden toughens anti-terror legislation

All association with terrorist organizations will be illegal in Sweden as of Aug. 1 this year, thanks to a bill presented in a government press conference on Thursday.

When the new law comes into effect, a broader "spectrum of activities" will become illegal, explained Minister for Justice and Migration Morgan Johansson. While acts of terror are punishable with up to a life sentence, crimes related to terrorism will now be punishable with up to six years in prison.

Johansson listed examples at the press conference:

"To promote or support these organisations in various ways, for example to recruit new members for them, to solicit financial contributions for them, to lend premises to them and arrange meetings for them."

After a terrorist attack in Stockholm 2017, the Swedish government agreed on stricter laws for terrorist organizations and those who support them. As part of that agreement, the government bill presented on Thursday will criminalize all co-operation with and participation in terrorist organizations.

Johansson pointed out that the legislation is not just about Islamic terror groups, but also applies, for example, to political groups on the far right and left.

"One should not forget that the largest terrorist attack in the Nordic countries during the post-war period was a Norwegian Nazi," said Johansson, referring to the 2011 attack in Utoya, Norway.

The legislation does not include a national list of organisations considered to be terrorists, however. That responsibility will instead lie with the courts.

"There are lists on both the UN level and the EU level of what is a terrorist organization. They will, of course, be the basis for a court to assess whether an organization should be covered by this legislation," Johansson said.

Johansson confirmed that the legislation will cover not only groups that have committed terrorist acts in Sweden but also internationally. "We also have a responsibility in Sweden to be able to judge persons who support organizations that commit terror in other countries."

The proposal received some criticism when it was presented, with critics pointing out that the legislation is too late and thus misses those who joined, for example, the terrorist group IS in Syria and Iraq. Johansson dismissed the criticism.

"If you make such reforms then you do it step by step and no government has tightened the punishment and strengthened the legislation more than we have done," said Johansson.