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AFTER THREE DECADES, Swedish prosecutors are today expected to reveal whether they are going to press charges in the 1986 assassination of Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme.
The 34-year investigation will wrap up within months, the prosecutor in charge said in May, signalling the last phase of a mystery that has gripped the country for decades.
Prosecutors will “either press charges or close the investigation,” said Krister Petersson, who leads the assassination probe, adding that they would most likely announce a decision by June.
Palme was killed on 28 February 1986, after leaving a cinema in Stockholm with his wife Lisbet to walk home. He had dismissed his bodyguards for the evening, as he often did during his tenure as the country’s leader.
An unidentified attacker approached the couple and shot Palme in the back and fled, leaving the 59-year-old dying in a pool of blood on the sidewalk.
Lisbet was slightly injured by a second shot, but survived.
Suspects and evidence
On the 30th anniversary of the crime, current prime minister Stefan Lofven called the unsolved murder an “open wound”.
“I think the whole country and, of course, the family want to see a resolution,” Lofven told newspaper Aftonbladet.
“We’ve been searching for it for so long,” he added.
More than 10,000 people have been questioned, 134 people have claimed responsibility, and the case files take up 250 metres of shelf space.
Christer Pettersson, a petty criminal and drug addict, was convicted of the crime in July 1989 after Lisbet identified him in a widely-criticised line-up.
But he was freed months later by an appeals court which dismissed Lisbet’s testimony on a technicality. Pettersson died in 2004 while Palme’s widow Lisbet passed away in 2018.
Over the years, investigators have suspected Turkey’s Kurdish rebel group the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the Swedish military and police, and the South African secret service among others.
What is expected to be announced?
Lead investigator Petersson, who in a bizarre coincidence shares a nearly identical name with the first murder suspect, took over the investigation in 2017.
Several experts and op-eds in Swedish media have suggested that the most likely scenario would be that the case will be closed, because the main suspects speculated about in the media in recent years are all dead.
Even if the investigation is closed, it could still be re-opened in the future should new evidence emerge.
“A decision doesn’t mean you set it in stone and lock it in a vault,” Petersson said.
Palme as a political figure
The murder of their charismatic Social Democrat leader sent Swedes into shock, and impacted on its open and safe society.
A left-wing activist in his youth, Palme was known as a great orator, but was disliked by some for his perceived arrogance, especially among conservatives who saw the wealthy-born Palme as a class traitor.
Infuriating Washington with his vocal opposition to the US war in Vietnam, he also backed communist governments in Cuba and Nicaragua, and spoke out against apartheid and nuclear power.
At home, he laid the foundation for Sweden’s modern-day gender equality, encouraging women into the workforce by overseeing the abolition of joint spousal tax declarations, the introduction of parental leave pay and universal daycare, and the right to free abortion.
The prosecutors’ announcement will be made at 9.30am Stockholm time, and will be held online due to restrictions prompted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Fair play and thanks to those workers.
@Larry Whack: Fair play to them, but what is the point in all this testing? The purpose of testing is to identify and drive out onward spread. That is fine in a situation where numbers are manageable and there is no vaccine.
We know that the virus is spreading uncontrollably in society and it is going to keep going because of the omicron variant which thankfully seems to be much milder.
The only requirement for testing should be those: 1) working or living with someone vulnerable; 2) requiring international travel; and 3) requiring admission to hospital.
Testing Damo because he was in Coppers and lobbed the gob on a few moths is a huge waste of resources and money. We don’t need to know whether there are 7k cases today or tomorrow. We know it’s out there and will keep going until it burns itself out.
@LaoisWeather: So ‘Damo’ doesn’t interact, live with, meet or visit anybody in categories 1,2 or 3 then?
You need to put a bit more thought into that position I’d say.
@LaoisWeather: Agreed, the indiscriminate use of PCR tests is an ongoing waste of money and time. Also, does anyone know how many amplification cycles they are running these tests at. Is it still 40 to 45 in Ireland?
@LaoisWeather: the point in testing is so people can be responsible in society. If you knowingly have covid and spread it within the community how many people do you think could end up quite sick from it?
@Alan Kennedy: the HSE have published their PCR amplification policy.and where a retest is needed and when a resampling is needed. Link been published here a few times, have not got it to hand but s Google search may help there
@Pat ALTHEA: it also help those vulnerable people, who many says must take responsibility themselves, to know and understand the risk they take. The fewer the cases the lower the risk. Plus we must never lose sight of the fact that about 7 people a day are dying coupled with the strain on the health services. This is why testing and reporting is important, not to mention the fact that positive cases should be isolating at home or in City West.
@Lee King Buckett: Damo can take an antigen test if he’s visiting triple-jabbed granny over the Christmas following his well deserved night out on the tiles. Queuing for a PCR test in the general is a waste of time money and resources.
@LaoisWeather: It’s Mots, not moths.
@LaoisWeather: You only book a PCR test if you have symptoms in which case an antigen test is not sufficient.
This has been repeated a million times and people still don’t get it.
@LaoisWeather: what about if you work with someone who is living with someone vulnerable? What if most of the doctors and nurses get sick at the same time?.
@LaoisWeather: Exactly. Latest estimates are there are approx 30 infections for every case. Test and trace was never a viable strategy.
@LaoisWeather: I just named your ma as a very close contact…
@Larry Whack: yes we should spare a thought for the people swabbing for the next two days. No one turning up for testing is going to have much Christmas spirit. Be kind!!!
@LaoisWeather: how do you know all the cases reported today don’t fall into the categories you mentioned?? I think you should stick to reporting the weather forecast and leave the medical matters to the experts.
I hope those workers get some serious overtime pay.
@Sohoma Roanie: they won’t.
@JG: they will
@JG: treble time I’m told. I don’t begrudge them it one bit but there is an entire industry built around Covid-19 and alot of multi nationals making alot of money out of it. While the person in the street gets jabbed and stays safe there doesn’t seem to be any benefit actually as we’re back in a partial lockdown again. You can’t travel to easily and pcr tests are expensive and to be honest I think there is alot of price gouging now.
Amazing sacrifice. Thank you.
There is no need to have this operational on Christmas day. Give the people a break.
@Homes: So are you saying that Covid won’t be active on Xmas day
@In the paper: It doesn’t become active until 8pm.
@In the paper: “so are you saying that covid won’t be active on Xmas day”. Why? Why do people leave infantile comments like this incessantly on every journal article?
@Gerry from the Block: Gerry… you need to read the comments and go back around the block before you comment
@Gerry from the Block: you’re dead right. I think it’s quite obvious what the op was referring to but some can’t help themselves.
@Homes: so you want to deny the people who want to have a covid test from having one on Christmas day despite the sacrifice of those willing to give their time on Christmas day to facilitate this? Remember that people with symptoms are supposed to be isolating and am sure people isolating would like their negative results as soon as possible too.
I add that there is even less a need any day to have pubs or restaurants or any hospitality industry open at all or indeed non essential shops or travel or… the list goes on. We are fighting a pandemic still and trying to balance disease control with allowing socialising with as low a risk as possible. PCR testing would not be necessary if we were all locked down in our homes for two weeks like they did in China.
@Bad Bunny: I think the “covid not active Christmas day” was sarcasm – but I hope people isolating with symptoms today can get a PCR test tomorrow and a negative result in time to be freed from isolation for Stephen’s day thanks to the efforts of those involved
Fair play to them Thank you all Involved
Huge sacrifice from those involved in carrying out testing over the Christmas period . Well done and thanks
Are people that desperate,can they not even take a day off from covert.
@Heisen berg1: But if they did then they would be recognised and risk blowing their cover and the whole operation.
It would be more important to have the vaccine clinics open for those two days than the testing facilities.
Again, incorrect priorities by the HSE.
@Gavin Linden: Did you get a doctorate in virology and immunology in last year’s Christmas cracker? Evidently not, because you’re wrong there. Covid negative people, otherwise normal and healthy, taking the recommended precautions, are no worse off to wait a few days to get boosted. Its suspected cases that need to be diagnosed without delay so they can isolate and treat the symptoms.
@Eoin Roche: Nope…!
@Eoin Roche: I never realised that Doctorate levels of education were required to comment on a particular subject, but there you go…
While not attempting to disagree with someone as qualified as yourself I would point out the following. Given that only 1 in 4 people are testing positive which is quite a low percentage it’s a high waste of resources to accommodate Mary and Johnny swamin in for testing for God knows what reason. Given the obvious level of covid throughout the country and the anticipated surge over the coming weeks, testing should actually be scaled back and used for very specific targeted groups of people.
@Gavin Linden: and how many otherwise well people will go get a vaccine those two days then instead of after their break
It’s time All Front line Staff Got A Decent Pay Rise and HAPPY Christmas to Them All
We had positive antigen yesterday and had to drive over 60 miles to get a test. I know loads of people that just got tested in the past few days for extra peace of mind for the Christmas dinner and it will probably mean people that should really be using hse testing can’t get an appointment because if that, which will probably result in more spread because people will rely on antigen tests if they can’t get a pcr. 1 out of 3 antigens I done were negative.
Damien will want to come into the real world …none available in Galaxy city since early YESTERDAY…
@In the paper:
There is none in Connacht and Clare… is it a computer glitch?
@In the paper:
There is none in Connacht and Clare… is it a computer glitch?
Mind you we are testing 32,000 a day… last Feb we were inly doung 24,000…
System under huge pressure…
@In the paper: testing capacity is 250,000 a week and the variant is rampant
@Patrick O Connell: I am well aware of that….but the power’s to be tell us they have extra staff…and walk in centres …thats great until you need one
@In the paper: and there is extra staff hired but they can only test so much, 12 months ago they only had capacity for 100,000 despite opposition parties stating the opposite. Credit must be given to the HSE for achieving the 250,000
@In the paper: Sounds like COVID is also spreading its tentacles throughout the universe.
I hope that Star-Lord, Drax, Rocket Racoon and the rest stay safe.
Waiting two days for results so far
@John Sadlier: hope you get a negative today and in time to enjoy Christmas – merry Christmas
ridiculous. My wife is 36 weeks pregnant. Rotunda testing clinic is closed for Christmas and can’t get a test with hse.
Wouldn’t be to bad if I could get a booking confirmation.
Stop already, feeding the government machine like
Big Deal
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