Updated 13.38 | Published 13.28
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The Russian-Swedish man who is accused of gross illegal intelligence activities against Sweden and against a foreign power has been released from custody, the Stockholm District Court announces.
“The District Court has, after continued individual deliberation, decided today that there is no longer reason to keep the defendant in custody. The district court has therefore lifted the arrest warrant,” the court writes in a press release.
The man was arrested in November 2022 on suspicion of having engaged in technology acquisition for the Russian military industry and having connections to the Russian military intelligence service GRU. He has been in custody since then.
During the trial, the man has denied any crime and claimed that he has followed the rules regarding exports to Russia. When the trial ended in September, prosecutor Henrik Olin demanded 4.5-5 years in prison for the man.
– He is a procurement agent for Russia, Olin said during the plea, according to SVT Nyheter.
The maximum penalty for gross illegal intelligence activity in a single case is four years.
The verdict in the case will be announced on October 26.