The 528 people behind the suit are veterans from the Iraq war, relatives of fallen soldiers, kidnapping victims and others who consider themselves to have suffered damage due to Ericsson’s actions.
The people who supported the class action believe that Ericsson deliberately chose to act in an illegal way.
“The plaintiffs believe that it was Ericsson who made that choice, but that the plaintiffs had to bear the consequences,” writes lawyer Ryan Sparacino, who represents the group, in a press release.
When IS took control of parts of northern Iraq, many foreign companies left. But Ericsson continued its operations, and it is in connection with that the telecom company is accused of having paid money for transport through IS-controlled areas.
Consent after SVT’s questions
The information became known after SVT, together with the journalist network ICIJ, published a review, among other things, based on leaked documents.
After the company received questions about the transactions, a press release was sent out in which Ericsson admitted that it had discovered “serious violations of rules and business ethics” through an internal investigation.
Voted by investors
The company is also already being investigated by American authorities, both for its actions in Iraq and for not informing shareholders of the information. In addition to the lawsuit now initiated, Ericsson’s has been sued by investors in New York.
The National Anti-Corruption Unit has also investigated the allegations against the company. However, the preliminary investigation was closed as the prosecutor did not consider himself able to prove that Ericsson participated in the crime.
SVT Nyheter has been in contact with Ericsson, who declined to comment on the lawsuit.