Swedish Court Rules National Security Adviser Grossly Negligent Over Lost Classified Files

In a recent ruling, the Svea Court of Appeal concluded that Henrik Landerholm, Sweden's national security adviser, was grossly negligent for abandoning classified documents in an unlocked safe at a course facility near Stockholm. The court’s decision reverses the Attunda District Court’s earlier acquittal, which had found Landerholm only careless and not grossly negligent. Judge Håkan Sellman emphasized the high standards required of officials handling sensitive information and argued that Landerholm’s failure could only be explained by a serious lapse in duty.

The appellate judgment highlights Landerholm’s senior role and long tenure in high-level government positions, underscoring the expectation of meticulous handling of secret material. The case originated in the spring of 2023 when the documents were discovered unsecured. While the lower court noted that some classified data had been disclosed, it did not deem the act grossly negligent, a view now overturned by the appellate court.