Swedish army consultant on trial for attempted espionage for Russia

A trial has commenced in Sweden for a 34-year-old IT consultant accused of attempting to pass classified information to Russian intelligence services. The Swedish citizen, born to Iranian parents, worked for the military between 2018 and 2022 before being arrested in January and charged with attempted espionage.

Prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist told the court that the accused allegedly tried to disclose secret information to Russia's FSB and GRU services during a trip to Moscow in late 2025, seeking protection and future Russian citizenship in return. The trial, expected to last three days, is being conducted largely behind closed doors due to the sensitive nature of the case.

The accused appeared calm and denied the charges, according to his lawyer, Hanna Lindblom. Evidence presented includes written communications between the suspect and Russian intelligence. An FSB representative, speaking anonymously in a video excerpt shown during the trial, stated that the accused had provided a large quantity of documents but appeared unstable, leading to skepticism about the information's validity.