Prosecutors demand lengthy prison sentences in Lundin Oil war crimes trial

Swedish prosecutors have called for former Lundin Oil executives Ian Lundin and Alex Schneiter to be sentenced to ten and six years in prison, respectively, for complicity in grave breaches of international humanitarian law in Sudan, SVT Nyheter reports.

Prosecutor Henrik Attorps argued in Stockholm District Court on Thursday that the two men “contributed over a long period, in multiple instances, to crimes against civilians whose lives were completely destroyed in the company’s and the defendants’ pursuit of profit.” The prosecution also requested their detention when the verdict is announced.

Lundin, the company’s former chairman, and Schneiter, its then-CEO, stand accused of aiding and abetting war crimes in southern Sudan between 1999 and 2003, during the country’s civil war. According to the indictment, they allegedly knew of—and facilitated—military and pro-government militia operations that killed and displaced civilians to clear the way for oil exploration in rebel-held areas.

The operations, which included airstrikes, helicopter attacks, and ground assaults, also involved the looting and burning of homes and medical facilities, prosecutors stated. Investigators claim the offenses were carried out between 1999 and March 2003 to secure infrastructure, such as roads, for Lundin Oil’s activities.

Prosecutors allege the executives enabled the crimes by entering agreements with Sudanese authorities and making demands they knew would require military action—including war crimes—to fulfill. The trial concerns one of Sweden’s most high-profile corporate accountability cases.