Commission Reopens Case of Svein Jemtland Following Claims of Illegal Strip Searches in Norway

Svein Jemtland’s case will be reopened following a decision by the Commission for the Reopening of Cases, according to his attorney, Lars Mathias Undheim. In 2018, Jemtland was sentenced to 17 years in prison for the murder of Janne Jemtland, who was fatally shot outside their home in Brumunddal.

The request for reopening stems from claims that Jemtland experienced at least 300 illegal strip searches while incarcerated in Hamar and Ullersmo prisons. The commission noted that the exact number and nature of these searches remain unclear, though it appears there may have been more than 240. Undheim emphasizes that these actions are in violation of human rights prohibitions against degrading treatment, as established by the Supreme Court.

The timeline of Janne Jemtland’s murder began on December 29, 2017, when her son saw her and her husband return home from a post-Christmas celebration. The following day, her husband reported her missing, but initial police responses did not indicate serious concern. After a series of events that included finding blood linked to Janne, her husband was arrested on January 12, 2018, and later convicted of her murder.

The Commission has stated that for a case to be reopened, new information not previously examined must emerge. They believe the alleged illegal searches qualify as such, as they were not addressed during Jemtland’s sentencing.

Undheim plans to request at least 175 days reduction in Jemtland’s sentence due to these violations, asserting that such a request is justified given the severity of the human rights infringements involved. He stresses that this is a matter of principle that should be addressed publicly, regardless of the individual involved.