The Local
November 16, 2022

Swedish MPs to vote on changed ‘free press’ rights in constitution

Sweden’s parliament is set to vote on Wednesday on a new law on “foreign espionage” which will limit the constitutional rights to press freedom and free expression for media organisations and individuals which publish “secret information”.

To change the constitution in Sweden, parliament must vote through the proposal twice, once on either side of a general election. As parliament already passed the controversial law for the first time back in the spring, Wednesday’s vote, if it (as seems likely) is in favour, will mean the changes take place.

Under the new law, ‘gross foreign espionage’ comes with a potential jail sentence of up to eight years….

Under the new proposal, publications which reveal secret data which impacts on Sweden’s relationships with international organisations such as the UN, or Nato….could be viewed as guilty of…