The law, which TV4 Nyheterna previously reported on, means that the police may set up a zone if there is a significant risk of shootings or explosions in the area. The police may then search people who are in a public place in the area, including children, without there being any suspicion of crime.
But the new law may conflict with several Swedish laws, including the Form of Government, the Code of Procedure and the Discrimination Act, believes Juan Fonseca, former Social Democratic Member of Parliament and chairman of the Discrimination Agency, who is now suing the state. However, he emphasizes that he is doing it as a private person and citizen.
He believes that the law on visitation zones, or security zones as the government now calls it, deepens a negative attitude towards people with an immigrant background.
– Of course we must fight crime regardless of where it comes from, but we must not fight it with laws that violate and contradict other laws, says Juan Fonseca.
The law has also previously been met with extensive criticism from various parts of society, something TV4 Nyheterna has reported on.
“Concerned about Sweden”
According to the lawsuit that TV4 Nyheterna has seen, the law seems to be designed “based on the assessment that in society there are citizens who commit crimes, dark-haired and immigrants, and citizens who do not commit crimes, native ethnic Swedes. The law can create a legal principle of difference that does not exist in society today. All citizens are no longer equal before the law. And this is serious in a rule of law like Sweden”.
According to the lawsuit, the law also leaves a great deal of room for the police’s subjective assessments, which in some situations could lead to violations of, among other things, the form of government or the discrimination law.
– I am concerned about Sweden and that the country is on the way to distinguishing people with different origins, says Fonseca.
Nevertheless, Foseca has confidence in Sweden’s judicial system and believes that he expects the district court to treat his lawsuit seriously.
– I hope that the district court will be able to determine that this law violates other laws, against human rights, personal integrity and that it can be discriminatory, says Juan Foseca.
Fact: This means the law
(TT)
In order to counter shootings and explosions during conflicts, the police authority must be able to introduce security zones where the police have special powers to search for weapons and other dangerous objects.
Within a security zone, the police can body search people and search vehicles.
All interventions must be documented in protocols.
Decisions on a safety zone shall apply for a maximum of two weeks at a time, where the police authority shall publish the decision on its website and inform about it in other ways. The decision must be appealable to a court.
Source: Government