Swedish Nazis "planned revolution"
Three men and a woman were indicted on Wednesday at Västmanland district court on suspicion of planning attacks Sweden's infrastructure, public figures and police. The four are alleged to be members of a "nazi cell" and will stand trial for preparing to commit terrorist acts.
This is the first time Swedish citizens have been tried for terrorist crimes and if found guilty they could face prison sentences of four years to life.
According to Aftonbladet, the four planned attacks against factories, power plants and parliament as part of a "revolution against the welfare state Sweden". The paper reported that the "Nazi cell" had a list of 70 names, including politicians and police.
"Their information is detailed," said Ulf Palm at Västerås police. "The plan was to kill them, not to send them a Christmas card."
Police confiscated a computer belonging to the group's 23 year old leader, a former leader of the National Socialist Front in Västerås. On it they found a five-phase "manifesto" which outlined the steps of the revolution.
It would begin with a campaign to destroy public property, and then move into the bombing of bridges, railways and other items of infrastructure. Phase three was to kill political opponents and police, and then to begin "open warfare". The last stage was suicide bombings.
"This is not the free fantasies of some immature youngsters - rather, the plans are deadly serious," said Västerås police inspector Sven-Åke Rönnmo to TT.
"It is clear how they have planned to check individual police officers' work routines in order to kill them later on."
Dagens Nyheter reported that the four were arrested on 11th September last year after over 100 windows of a school outside Västerås were smashed. Police now believe that the group is responsible for smashing windows of other public buildings in mid-Sweden and causing damage totalling 1.4 million crowns.
The paper said that this was part of the first phase and was intended to last for five years.
"It is extraordinary that young people in today's Sweden are planning such crimes," Sven-Åke Rönnmo told TT. "In the police we're used to most things, but this is really something. I'm shocked."
The 23 year old has previously been found guilty of persecution of a minority group and, wrote Aftonbladet, "is described as an unusually devoted nazi".
The trial begins on Monday 10th January.
Sources: Dagens Nyheter, Aftonbladet, TT
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This is the first time Swedish citizens have been tried for terrorist crimes and if found guilty they could face prison sentences of four years to life.
According to Aftonbladet, the four planned attacks against factories, power plants and parliament as part of a "revolution against the welfare state Sweden". The paper reported that the "Nazi cell" had a list of 70 names, including politicians and police.
"Their information is detailed," said Ulf Palm at Västerås police. "The plan was to kill them, not to send them a Christmas card."
Police confiscated a computer belonging to the group's 23 year old leader, a former leader of the National Socialist Front in Västerås. On it they found a five-phase "manifesto" which outlined the steps of the revolution.
It would begin with a campaign to destroy public property, and then move into the bombing of bridges, railways and other items of infrastructure. Phase three was to kill political opponents and police, and then to begin "open warfare". The last stage was suicide bombings.
"This is not the free fantasies of some immature youngsters - rather, the plans are deadly serious," said Västerås police inspector Sven-Åke Rönnmo to TT.
"It is clear how they have planned to check individual police officers' work routines in order to kill them later on."
Dagens Nyheter reported that the four were arrested on 11th September last year after over 100 windows of a school outside Västerås were smashed. Police now believe that the group is responsible for smashing windows of other public buildings in mid-Sweden and causing damage totalling 1.4 million crowns.
The paper said that this was part of the first phase and was intended to last for five years.
"It is extraordinary that young people in today's Sweden are planning such crimes," Sven-Åke Rönnmo told TT. "In the police we're used to most things, but this is really something. I'm shocked."
The 23 year old has previously been found guilty of persecution of a minority group and, wrote Aftonbladet, "is described as an unusually devoted nazi".
The trial begins on Monday 10th January.
Sources: Dagens Nyheter, Aftonbladet, TT
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