‘Terror’ charge for Swede Over Plot To Kill Party Leader

A Swede with a history of mental health issues was charged Tuesday with “terrorism” for allegedly killing a prominent psychiatrist and “preparing a terror crime” over plans to murder a top politician.

Theodor Engstrom, 33, is alleged to have stabbed to death Sweden’s national coordinator for psychiatric care in early July in broad daylight in Visby, on the island of Gotland, near an annual week-long gathering of Sweden’s political class called Almedalen.

After Engstrom’s arrest, police found indications that he also had alleged plans to murder Centre Party leader Annie Loof, who was nearby when the stabbing occurred.

The murder of 64-year-old psychiatrist Ing-Marie Wieselgren was considered a “terrorist” act as it “could have caused Sweden serious harm” and was designed to “instill grave fear among the population or part of the population”, prosecutors said in the charge sheet, seen by AFP.

Prosecutors said the same was true for Engstrom’s alleged plans for Loof’s “murder or aggravated assault”.

In the weeks before the attack, Engstrom had acquired a double-edged knife, two swords and a set of bow and arrows. He also had detailed information of both Wieselgren’s and Loof’s plans and movements at Almedalen, according to the charge sheet.

Prosecutors said they also had notebooks, internet search histories and an encrypted hard disc as evidence for the “terrorism” charges.

Engstrom, who has confessed to the crimes, has a history of mental illness and a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation found that he was mentally ill at the time of the attack.

According to media reports, he was previously active in the neo-Nazi movement NMR.

Loof, a vehement opponent of the anti-immigration party Sweden Democrats, has long been a target for far-right groups.

The trial is expected to start on November 8 and last about two weeks.

Source: Barrons