{"document_url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_Prosecution_Authority"}
The Swedish Prosecution Authority (Swedish: Åklagarmyndigheten) is the principal agency in Sweden responsible for public prosecutions. It is a wholly independent organisation; not dependent on the courts or the police, and although it is organized under the Ministry of Justice it operates independently and any ministerial interference in cases is unconstitutional. It is headed by the Prosecutor-General of Sweden.

History

The Swedish prosecution service underwent a major reform in 1965. Prior to this, the police and prosecution were organized under the same roof. Following the reform, the Swedish police, the courts and the prosecution service became clearly defined, separate entities. In 1996, there was another major overhaul of the organization, merging smaller local authorities into six regional public prosecutors, all under an attorney general. In 2005, these six regional authorities merged into a single agency, creating the Swedish Prosecution Authority.

Notable cases

In 2019, the Swedish Prosecution Authority reopened an investigation into rape allegations against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, first made in 2010, and filed a request for his arrest.

Shortly after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Swedish Prosecution Authority opened a preliminary investigation into possible war crimes in Ukraine to secure evidence as early as possible that could be used in Swedish or international courts.

Criticism

The current prosecutor-general (as of October 2019[update]), Petra Lundh, was accused of favouritism after it was discovered that she had accommodated the hiring of old colleagues after she was appointed.