Lund Municipality Reverses Decision, Allows Controversial Author Bisan Edwan to Retain Stipend and Residency

Lund municipality has decided to allow Palestinian author Bisan Edwan to keep her title as a writer in residence, her annual stipend of 120,000 SEK, and her municipality-provided apartment despite controversy over her social media posts expressing support for the October 7, 2023 terror attack in Israel. The decision reversed an earlier intention to sever ties, following legal advice indicating that dismissing Edwan might violate Swedish constitutional protections on freedom of expression, specifically the repression prohibition that shields individuals from penalties for their opinions.

Sebastian Jaktling, chairman of Lund's culture and leisure committee, acknowledged that the initial decision lacked thorough consideration of freedom of expression laws, which contributed to the reversal. The municipality will remain a member of the International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN), but has paused accepting new writers until formal safeguards are implemented to avoid similar disputes.

Local politicians from the Social Democrats, Moderates, and Liberals had expressed strong disapproval of Edwan's views and favored withdrawing her stipend and residency, but ultimately the legal risks outweighed the political pressure. Edwan has been a writer in residence in Lund since late 2024, with her housing costs covered by the municipality.

This case underscores the tension between political discontent with controversial personal views and legal protections of freedom of expression in Sweden's cultural support programs.