Sweden bars gang-linked prisoners from Estonian prison transfer

Sweden will begin transferring prisoners to an Estonian prison in August, but no inmates linked to criminal networks or radicalised groups will be included, SVT reports. The first 30 prisoners will be moved in three transfers during the month, according to Niklas Bellström of the Swedish Prison and Probation Service.

An agreement between the Swedish and Estonian prison services is due to be signed this week, allowing Swedish prisoners to be housed at a prison in Tartu, Estonia.

All prisoners selected for the transfer must be men aged 18 or over and classified as security level two in Sweden, the second-highest security classification. They must also not require hospital treatment outside the prison.

The authorities will assess each case individually. English-language skills and family circumstances will also be considered.

“We will not place inmates who have links to criminal networks or who are radicalised in the prison,” Bellström said.

Up to 600 prisoners will be transferred to Tartu by the end of July 2027. The transfers will initially involve 30 prisoners, followed by a further 100 every quarter.

This will be the first time Sweden allows another country to operate prison places for Swedish inmates. The agreement will apply for five years and can be extended in three-year periods unless either country terminates it.

The Swedish Prison and Probation Service has reported a shortage of prison places for a long time. Sweden’s parliament approved the agreement with Estonia on June 3, while Estonia’s parliament approved it on June 10.