Leif GW Persson Sparks Controversy by Backing Man Charged with Threatening Swedish Ministers

Leif GW Persson, a well-known Swedish criminologist, has publicly supported a man charged with threatening Swedish ministers, offering to cover his legal expenses. The accused, a man in his 40s, faces charges of unlawful and aggravated unlawful threats against two members of the Moderate Party: Benjamin Dousa, Minister for International Development Cooperation, and Johan Forssell, Minister for Migration. The trial began on Thursday.

Persson expressed his stance in an interview on TV4's Nyhetsmorgon, stating, “I support it 100 percent. I have a decent economy and could even consider covering his trial costs.” He described the accused’s actions, including placing a doll with a fake knife outside Minister Dousa’s residence, as an expression of freedom of speech and declared, “I am unreservedly on the perpetrator’s side.”

This outspoken backing has triggered a strong political backlash. Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard called Persson’s comments “astonishing” and emphasized that supporting threatening behavior toward politicians crosses a serious line. The controversy highlights tensions about how threats against public figures should be addressed legally and publicly.

The accused man, whose identity has not been disclosed, is now undergoing a legal process that tests the boundaries between free speech and unlawful intimidation. Persson’s involvement by offering financial support to the defendant has amplified the debate in Swedish political circles about the acceptable limits of political expression and the protection of government officials.

As the trial proceeds, the case continues to provoke discussion on social responsibility and legal consequences concerning threats directed at public officials in Sweden, with Leif GW Persson’s stance remaining a focal point in the national discourse.