Swedish Security Service Alleges Iran Exploited Criminal Networks

By Kaila Hall

 

On Thursday, May 30, 2024, the Swedish Security Service (SAPO) alleged that Iran has recruited gangs to target Israeli and Jewish interests. In an online press conference, the head of the agency’s Counter-Intelligence Unit, Daniel Stenling, announced that SAPO “can establish that criminal networks in Sweden are used as a proxy by Iran.”¹ The agency has identified “connections between criminal individuals in the criminal networks and individuals connected to the Iranian security services.” SAPO believes that Iranian intelligence services are coordinating with Swedish gangs “to carry out attacks against Israeli and Jewish interests, goals and activities in Sweden.” The Security Service also accused Iran of targeting Iranian dissident groups and Iranians in the diaspora.²

This announcement came just two weeks after gunshots were heard outside of the Israeli Embassy in Sweden.³ Previously, in January 2024, the Embassy in Stockholm was sealed off after police found a live grenade.⁴ This prompted SAPO to launch an investigation into “terrorist crime through grossly illegal threats and attempts to cause public destruction.” No arrests were made in either incident. Swedish officials omitted any mention of these matters in Thursday’s announcement.

Sweden has been experiencing a trend of gang violence and an uptick in crime recently. Last year, 55 people were killed in shootings and 109 other individuals were injured in 363 separate shootings.⁵ The Foxtrot and rival Rumba gang networks in particular have continuously committed acts of violence throughout the country. On May 30, 2024, Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter reported that Rawa Majid, the head of Foxtrot, and Ismail Abdo, the head of Rumba, had both been recruited by the Iranian regime, according to documents from Israel’s Mossad.⁶ The cited documents also stated that Majid had been recently arrested in Iran and given an ultimatum of either cooperating with the regime or being jailed.

Iranian-Swedish diplomatic relations have worsened in recent years. In July 2022, the Stockholm District Court sentenced⁷ Hamid Noury, a former prison official in Iran, to life in prison. The court affirmed that he was an assistant to the deputy prosecutor at the prison and was “jointly and in collusion with others involved” in the mass execution and torture of Iranian political prisoners in 1988. Prior to Noury’s trial, Iran arrested Swedish EU diplomat Johan Floderus in April 2022,⁸ claiming he spied on behalf of Israel. Iranian State Prosecutors have stated they are seeking the death penalty.⁹

In terms of legal precedent for the criminal liability of foreign sovereigns, the standard in the U.S. is the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA).¹⁰ In 2023, the United States Supreme Court held in Türkiye Halk Bankasi A.S. (Halkbank) v. United States,¹¹ that the FSIA does not provide immunity to foreign states or their instrumentalities in criminal prosecutions. The Court perceived the statute as being “silent as to criminal matters”¹² and “say[ing] not a word about criminal proceedings against foreign states or their instrumentalities.” With respect to international legal entities, the International Criminal Court prosecutes individuals while the International Court of Justice adjudicates cases on crimes against humanity and genocide against states, but they are not prosecuted. Per Halkbank’s ruling that the FSIA is not applicable to criminal matters, state prosecutors may indict and prosecute sovereign owned enterprises (SOEs) and foreign States.¹³ In the event that States prosecute foreign sovereigns or SOEs, the federal government can submit a “suggestion of immunity.”

 

[1] “Stockholm Accuses Iran of Using Criminals in Sweden to Target Israel or Jewish Interests.” AP News, 30 May 2024, apnews.com/article/sweden-iran-israel-criminal-gangs-proxy-d50a17efab629a585e281854d3e11407

[2] Reuters. “Swedish Security Service Says Iran Uses Criminal Networks in Sweden.” Reuters, 30 May 2024, www.reuters.com/world/swedish-security-service-says-iran-uses-criminal-networks-sweden-2024-05-30/

[3] Reuters. Swedish police investigate shooting near Israeli embassy in Stockholm, 17 May 2024, www.reuters.com/world/europe/suspected-gunshots-near-israeli-embassy-stockholm-prompt-police-cordon-2024-05-17/

[4] “Swedish Security Agency Is Investigating an Object Found at the Israeli Embassy as an Act of Terror.” AP News, 2 Feb. 2024, apnews.com/article/sweden-israeli-embassy-object-investigation-terrorism-250f2bfcd8736608534b6fbc97eb1978

[5] “Number of Shootings in Sweden from 2017 to 2023.” Statista, www.statista.com/statistics/1178223/number-of-shootings-in-sweden/

[6] “Sweden Says Iran Using Swedish Gangs to Target Israel, Other States.” Institutkurde.org, www.institutkurde.org/en/info/latest/sweden-says-iran-using-swedish-gangs-to-target-israel-other-states-12663/

‌[7] Reuters. “Swedish Court Sentences Ex-Iranian Official to Life for Torture, Executions.” Reuters, 14 July 2022, www.reuters.com/world/europe/swedish-court-verdict-iran-prison-executions-trial-due-thursday-2022-07-14/

[8] “Johan Floderus: EU Confirms Official from Sweden Detained in Iran.” Www.bbc.com, 5 Sept. 2023, www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-66716225

[9] “Iran’s Imprisonment of EU Diplomat Reveals New Era of Hostage Diplomacy.” POLITICO, 17 Apr. 2024, www.politico.eu/article/we-just-want-johan-back-an-eu-diplomat-has-spent-2-years-in-irans-most-notorious-prison/

‌[10] Rodino, Rep. Peter. “H.R.11315 – Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act.” Congress, 19 Dec. 1975, www.congress.gov/bill/94th-congress/house-bill/11315

[11] U.S. Supreme Court. “TURKIYE HALK BANKASI A. S., AKA HALKBANK v. UNITED STATES.” U.S. Supreme Court, 19 Apr. 2023, www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/21-1450_5468.pdf

 

[12] Congressional Research Service. “The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act: Prosecuting Foreign States after the Supreme Court’s Decision in Halkbank.” Congressional Research Service, 18 May 2023, crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/LSB/LSB10967/2

 

[13] Frederick T. Davis, “The Halkbank Decision from the Supreme Court: The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act Does Not Apply to Criminal Cases, Offers No Protection to Halkbank So: What Is Next? | International Enforcement Law Reporter.” 39 Int’l Enforcement L. Rep. 189, May. 2023, www.ielr.com/content/halkbank-decision-supreme-court-foreign-sovereign-immunities-act-does-not-apply-criminal