Sweden appeals the acquittal of a Russian-born businessman who was accused of spying for Moscow

Sweden’s prosecution authority has appealed a ruling that acquitted a Russian-born Swedish businessman who had been accused of collecting information for Russia’s military intelligence service for almost a decade

Sweden Russia Espionage

Sweden's prosecution authority on Wednesday appealed a ruling that acquitted a Russian-born Swedish businessman who had been accused of collecting information for Russia’s military intelligence service for almost a decade.

On Oct. 26, the Stockholm District Court said advanced technology had been acquired and delivered to Russia but that Sergey Skvortsov's activities were "not aimed at obtaining information concerning Sweden or the United States that may constitute espionage.”

“The man has been a procurement agent for Russian military intelligence in Sweden for almost 10 years,” prosecutor Henrik Olin said in a statement. “Both the district court and I have found that behavior proven. I think there is room for the legislation on illegal intelligence activities to be interpreted a little more extensively than the rather cautious district court reached in its ruling.”

Skvortsov was arrested in November with his wife in Nacka, outside Stockholm. He denied wrongdoing, His wife was released without charge following an investigation by Sweden’s security agency.

Skvortsov had obtained information via two companies about items that Russia cannot otherwise acquire due to export regulations and sanctions. The prosecutor says he helped to buy and transport the goods, providing false or misleading information and acting under false identities.