Justice Ombudsman Criticizes Government Over Delays in Public Document Requests Following Landerholm Case

The Swedish Justice Ombudsman (JO) has issued strong criticism towards the Regeringskansliet (Government Offices) for their slow handling of public document requests related to former national security advisor Henrik Landerholm. Journalists from Dagens Nyheter (DN) sought access to emails, direct messages, and email logs from Landerholm's service phone amid investigations into his management of classified information. However, the Government Offices delayed the release of these documents, prompting JO Per Lennerbrant to reprimand them for not complying promptly with the Freedom of the Press Act (tryckfrihetsförordningen).

Lennerbrant emphasized that the delays were not an isolated case, noting multiple documents were involved over time. He underlined the importance of respecting the right of public access and warned that failure to do so could risk undermining adherence to constitutional transparency requirements across authorities. Lennerbrant stressed that the Government Offices must be adequately prepared to handle such requests swiftly, even amid intense media scrutiny.

The Landerholm affair, which DN uncovered to involve several security incidents, saw Landerholm charged with carelessness regarding confidential information. His case, currently pending at the appellate court after a district court acquittal, is expected to be delayed until 2027 due to court processing times. JO’s criticism highlights ongoing challenges in government transparency and accountability in managing sensitive information requests.