Säpo Clears Suspect Arrested at North Sweden Refugee Center

Summary: Säpo clears and releases suspect arrested Nov. 19 at north Sweden refugee center, and the 22-year-old Iraqi returns to Boliden's refugee community.

grainy photo of Moder Mothanna Magid distributed Nov. 18-19 by Säpo: Aftonbladet @Aftonbladet via Twitter Nov. 19, 2015

On Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015, three days after his arrest as a suspected terrorist at a north Sweden refugee center, Säpo, Sweden’s Security Police, cleared and released 22-year-old Moder Mothanna Magid, who returned to the refugee community in Boliden.

In an interview with Expressen tabloid on Tuesday, Nov. 24, two days after his release, the 22-year-old Iraqi refugee offered only compliments, not complaints, about his three-day arrest: “They did their job. Anyone at all could become a suspect. I was well taken care of and then they also understood that I was not suspected of anything.”

At a press conference Wednesday, Nov. 18, Anders Thornberg, Säpo’s director general, announced an in absentia arrest and nationwide manhunt for an unnamed individual suspected of planning terrorist activities in Sweden. Säpo later identified Magid by name and released a grainy photograph of the suspect to the public.

Magid was arrested the next day, Thursday, Nov. 19, at the north Sweden refugee center in Boliden where he is staying with friends.

After the evening arrest, Stefan Löfven, Sweden’s prime minister, praised the Scandinavian nation’s police and security forces: “I am impressed by the speed with which the suspect has been found and arrested.”

Magid’s explanations of the evidence presented to him, the openness of postings to his Facebook page, and Säpo’s analysis of his computer and mobile telephone led to the Iraqi refugee’s release.

Säpo press spokesperson Sirpa Franzén described the tenuous situation of constant assessment of evidence for merit in the midst of high risk of terrorist attacks: “You are forced to act based on an incomplete picture of the situation, and given the uncertain situation that exists right now, it is likely that Europe and Sweden too must adapt to this type of situation in future. The police and Säpo will never hesitate to act quickly and resolutely in such a situation.”

The Paris terrorist attacks of Friday, Nov. 13, along with subsequent emailed threats of terrorism against Sweden’s government and parliament and the manhunt for Magid, impelled Sweden to raise the threat level to a record high of four on a five-level scale.

With Magid’s release Sunday, Nov. 22, Hans Ihrman, deputy chief prosecutor, explained that “I can only underline that the initial information and the evidence which pointed against him, was sufficiently severe that, in any criminal investigation he would be in focus. It was very concrete information and he was pointed out very clearly. I assume we would have done this with or without what happened in Paris.”

Returning to his apartment in the north Sweden refugee center, Magid expressed his comfortable adjustment to his new hometown of Boliden: “I am very well now. I just want to live here and feel good. I want my regular life to continue, with my friends. I have missed them.”

Säpo raid Thursday, Nov. 19, in Boliden; photo by Robert Granström/TT: The Local Sweden @TheLocalSweden via Twitter Nov. 23, 2015

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

short-finned pilot whale, Tenerife, Canary Islands: Cayambe, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ grainy photo of Moder Mothanna Magid distributed by Säpo Nov. 18-19, 2015: Aftonbladet @Aftonbladet via Twitter Nov. 18, 2015, @ https://twitter.com/Aftonbladet/status/667217085110624256

Säpo raid Thursday, Nov. 19, in Boliden; photo by Robert Granström/TT: The Local Sweden @TheLocalSweden via Twitter Nov. 22, 2015, @ https://twitter.com/TheLocalSweden/status/668678419421511680

For further information:

Aftonbladet @Aftonbladet. "Här är bilden på Mutar Muthanna Majid som jagas misstänkt för förberedelse till terrorbrott." Twitter. Nov. 18, 2015.
Available @ https://twitter.com/Aftonbladet/status/667217085110624256

"Doubts grow in Sweden over seized 'terrorist.'" The Local SE: Sweden's news in English. Nov. 21, 2015. Updated Nov. 23, 2015.
Available @ http://www.thelocal.se/20151121/doubts-grow-in-sweden-over-isis-terrorist

"'I feel fine,' says man cleared of terror claims." The Local SE: Sweden's news in English. Nov. 23, 2015.
Available @ http://www.thelocal.se/20151123/i-feel-fine-says-man-cleared-of-terror-claims

"Innocent 'terrorist' won't blame Swedish police." The Local SE: Sweden's news in English. Nov. 24, 2015.
Available @ http://www.thelocal.se/20151124/innocent-terrorist-wont-blame-swedish-police

The Local Sweden @TheLocalSweden. "Iraqi man cleared of #terror suspicion says he bears no grudge against #Swedish police." Twitter. Nov. 22, 2015.
Available @ https://twitter.com/TheLocalSweden/status/668678419421511680

Marriner, Derdriu. "After Paris Attacks Italy and Sweden Have High Alerts to Track Threats." Earth and Space News. Monday, Nov. 30, 2015.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2015/11/after-paris-attacks-italy-and-sweden.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Säpo Ups Sweden Terror Threat Level to First-Ever High at 4 on 5-Level Scale." Earth and Space News. Monday, Nov. 23, 2015.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2015/11/sapo-ups-sweden-terror-threat-to-first.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Stefan Lofven: Sweden Is Dramatically Reducing Refugee Intakes." Earth and Space News. Monday, Nov. 30, 2015.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2015/11/stefan-lofven-sweden-is-drastically.html

"Misstänkt för planering av  terroristbrott fri." Säkerhetspolisen > Pressrum > Aktuellt. Nov. 22, 2015.
Available @ http://www.sakerhetspolisen.se/ovrigt/pressrum/aktuellt/aktuellt/2015-11-22-misstankt-for-planering-av-terroristbrott-fri.html

"Police seek 'tips' after suspect's photo shared." The Local SE > Sweden terror plot: Sweden's news in English. Nov. 19, 2015.
Available @ http://www.thelocal.se/20151119/terror-plot-suspect-info-leaked-to-media

Scrutton, Alistair, and Simon Johnson. "Swedish police say arrest man suspected of planning terrorist attack." Reuters > World. Nov. 20, 2015.
Available @ http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/11/20/sweden-terror-arrest-idINKCN0T908520151120

söndag. "Terror suspect released after three days." Radio Sweden > News in English. Nov. 22, 2015.
Available @ http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=2054&artikel=6308312