Activist convicted of gross defamation for naming sex offenders

Activist Jonathan Alfvén has been given a conditional sentence and day fines for gross defamation after identifying convicted sex offenders on Facebook, SVT reported.

Stockholm District Court convicted Alfvén on six counts in a ruling issued on Wednesday. He must also pay damages to the plaintiffs.

Alfvén was prosecuted after publishing separate Facebook posts containing information about five men convicted of various sexual offences, including offences against children. Alongside details from the judgments, he posted the men’s names, photographs and places of residence.

Prosecutors argued that the conduct constituted gross defamation because the information and its distribution were liable to cause serious harm. The offence carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison.

Political support

The case has attracted considerable attention, including from the justice minister and the prime minister. Alfvén’s actions have also received explicit support from the Sweden Democrats.

During the first day of the trial, Sweden Democrats deputy leader Henrik Vinge held a press conference outside the court and said that Alfvén had tried to protect children, according to Aftonbladet.

In August, Alfvén met Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer to hand over a petition with more than 20,000 signatures calling for new defamation legislation. Kristersson later wrote on Facebook that the government could not comment on an ongoing legal process, but said the issue of defamation was engaging for good reason.

The government has appointed a parliamentary committee to review, among other things, whether people who issue well-founded warnings about the risk of serious sexual abuse should receive stronger protection against being convicted of defamation.