A special penalty provision for participation in a terrorist organization

The plan explicitly rejects specific terrorism legislation and means that violent crimes should be prosecuted within ordinary legal frameworks, and opposes politically motivated organizational bans. Freedom of association is counted among democracy's most important building blocks and rule-of-law principles should be upheld. Rejecting a specific criminal provision for participation in a terrorist organization is thus the plan's own conclusion.

• no specific terrorism legislationdecisive»avvisar en särskild terroristlagstiftning och menar att våldsbrott ska« (party programme ↗)“rejects specific terrorism legislation and means that violent crimes should”
• no to organizational bans»politiskt motiverade organisationsförbud« (party programme ↗)“politically motivated organizational bans”
• freedom of association»föreningsfriheten, yttrande- och tryckfriheten, offentlighetsprincipen« (party programme ↗)“freedom of association, freedom of speech and press, the principle of public access”
• rule-of-law principles»En fördjupad demokrati innebär också att vi slår vakt om den« (party programme ↗)“A deeper democracy also means that we stand guard over”

The party programme establishes that every form of terrorist act must always be rejected, and the election manifesto wants to toughen sentences for those who support organised crime and points out terrorism as a threat requiring common strength. Rejecting a criminal provision against participation in a terrorist organisation entirely therefore goes against the plan, even though the party programme also values civil society and civil rights.

• terrorism shall always be rejecteddecisive»Varje form av terrorhandling, liksom organiserat våld riktat« (party programme ↗)“Every form of terrorist act, as well as organised violence directed”
• sentences for support»Vi vill skärpa straffen bland annat för gängrelaterad brottslighet, för den som begår upprepade och allvarliga brott och för den som understödjer organiserad kriminalitet. Vi vill fördubbla straffet för grova vapenbrott.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to toughen sentences among others for gang-related crime, for those who commit repeated and serious crimes and for those who support organised crime. We want to double the sentence for serious weapons offences.”
• terrorism threat requires action»Inte minst klimatfrågan, migrationen och hotet från terrorism och gränsöverskridande brottslighet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Not least the climate issue, migration and the threat from terrorism and cross-border crime.”
• freedom of association valued»Ett starkt och levande civilsamhälle är demokratins underbyggnad.« (party programme ↗)“A strong and living civil society is the foundation of democracy.”

The plan opposes legislation that involves disproportionate interference and states that terrorism prevention must not occur at the expense of human rights, which is the basis for rejecting a broad criminalized participation crime. The plan also protects freedom of opinion formation and wants to ensure that constitutionally protected rights are not changed hastily. The conclusion is uncertain as the plan at the same time wants to give the judiciary tools against serious crime.

• against disproportionate interferencedecisive»alla lagar som innebär oproportionerliga ingrepp i« (party programme ↗)“all legislation that involves disproportionate interference in”
• rights before terrorism prevention»viktigt men ska inte ske på bekostnad av mänskliga« (party programme ↗)“important but must not occur at the expense of human”
• freedom of expression and association»fria åsiktsbildningen är ovärderliga.« (party programme ↗)“freedom of opinion formation are invaluable.”
• caution with freedoms and rights»skydda Sveriges grundlag mot snabba förändringar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“protect Sweden's constitution against rapid changes.”

The plan lists the rule-of-law restrictions it says no to — search zones, anonymous witnesses, preventive wiretapping and others — and criminal responsibility for participation in a terrorist organisation is not among them. At the same time, the plan requires that society be armed against threats to democracy. Thus rejecting the bill in its entirety has no support in the plan, even though inviolable freedom of association requires balance.

• exhaustive no-listdecisive»Rättsstaten och individens rättigheter gentemot staten måste försvaras. Vi säger därför nej till visitationszoner, kollektiv bestraffning, omvänd bevisbörda, anonyma vittnen, preventiv avlyssning och inskränkningar av religionsfriheten.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The rule of law and individuals' rights against the state must be defended. We therefore say no to search zones, collective punishment, reversed burden of proof, anonymous witnesses, preventive wiretapping and restrictions on freedom of religion.”
• protection against threats to democracy»Sverige måste rustas snabbt och fokuserat; ingen ska kunna ta vårt demokratiska samhälle ifrån oss.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden must be armed quickly and purposefully; no one shall be able to take our democratic society from us.”
• inviolable freedom of association»Yttrandefrihet, religionsfrihet och föreningsfrihet är därför orubbliga« (party programme ↗)“Freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom of association are therefore inviolable”

The plan establishes that Islamic and other violence-affirming extremism poses a threat to democracy, that no tax funds shall go to activities that wish to change society through violence and that much more must be done against extremist milieus. Rejecting a criminal provision against participation in a terrorist organization therefore contradicts the plan. The plan simultaneously requires that protection for civil rights and freedoms be strengthened, which sets requirements on the balance.

• extremism threatens democracydecisive»extremismen utgör ett hot mot demokratin.« (party programme ↗)“extremism poses a threat to democracy.”
• no support for violence-affirming [groups]»Inga skattemedel ska gå till verksamheter som vill förändra det demokratiska samhället med våld eller på« (party programme ↗)“No tax funds shall go to activities that wish to change the democratic society through violence or by [other means]”
• stronger action against extremist milieus»När Säpo säger att flera organisationer från extremistmiljöer finansieras av skattepengar måste mycket mer göras.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“When Säpo [Swedish Security Service] says that several organizations from extremist milieus are financed by tax money, much more must be done.”
• legal certainty in the balance»Rättssäkerheten och skyddet för de medborgerliga fri- och rättigheterna behöver förstärkas.« (party programme ↗)“Legal certainty and protection for civil rights and freedoms need to be strengthened.”

The plan requires that Sweden can meet attacks from international crime and terrorism and that all crimes are effectively and without exception dealt with, with firmness in prosecution. Rejecting a penal provision against participation in a terrorist organization's activities goes directly against these commitments. The plan's strong protection of freedom of assembly and association, by contrast, justifies that exceptions for minor and defensible acts remain.

• terrorism shall be metdecisive»möta angrepp från internationell kriminalitet, terrorism, cyberkrigföring« (party programme ↗)“meet attacks from international crime, terrorism, cyber warfare”
• crimes shall be dealt with»Alla brott ska effektivt och utan undantag beivras« (party programme ↗)“All crimes shall be effectively and without exception dealt with”
• the law is upheld with firmness»med fasthet och förövare av brott ska skyndsamt lagföras« (party programme ↗)“with firmness and offenders of crimes shall be swiftly prosecuted”
• freedom of association is valued»samt anonymitetsskyddet, liksom för mötes- och före- ningsfriheten, är av stor vikt för en levande demokrati.« (party programme ↗)“and anonymity protection, as well as freedom of assembly and association, are of great importance for a living democracy.”

flags: citat_migrerat

The plan explicitly requires a ban on participation in organizations with violent activities and wants to strengthen democracy's protection against violent extremism, with a strengthened security police. The counter-proposal wants to reject the entire bill on a criminal provision for participation in a terrorist organization, which is the opposite of the plan's commitment. The plan's weighing against freedom of association is therefore in favor of criminalization.

• criminalize participationdecisive»Förbjuda deltagande i organisationer med våldsbejakande verksamhet samt förbjuda deltagande i kriminella gäng« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Ban participation in organizations with violent activities and ban participation in criminal gangs”
• protection against extremism»Vi måste också stärka demokratins skydd mot våldsbejakande extremism och andra kriminella hot.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We must also strengthen democracy's protection against violent extremism and other criminal threats.”
• strengthened security police»Stärka Säkerhetspolisen för att öka deras förmåga att skydda den liberala demokratin och landets alla medborgare« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen the Security Police to increase their ability to protect liberal democracy and the country's all citizens”
• criminal participation»Göra det straffbart att vara med i ett kriminellt gäng« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Make it criminal to be part of a criminal gang”

The plan explicitly requires that participation in and contact with terrorist organizations be prohibited and states that it cannot be permitted to participate in or support such organizations. The counter-proposal wants to reject precisely that criminal provision in its entirety, which directly contradicts the plan. The plan also wants to deport terror-convicted individuals and combat international terrorism and Islamism.

• prohibition on terrorist participationdecisive»Förbjuda deltagande i, och samröre med, terrororganisationer.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Prohibit participation in, and contact with, terrorist organizations.”
• participation should be punishable»Det kan inte vara tillåtet att delta i, eller stödja, terrororganisationer.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It cannot be permitted to participate in, or support, terrorist organizations.”
• deportation of terror-convicted»Utvisa terrordömda och återkalla medborgarskap där det är möjligt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Deport terror-convicted individuals and revoke citizenship where possible.”
• combat terrorism»Bekämpa internationell terrorism och islamism« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Combat international terrorism and Islamism”