A Russian citizen who was previously detained in Gothenburg on suspicion of industrial espionage has been released from custody, according to Sweden’s prosecutor’s office.
The prosecutor stated that the suspicion surrounding the person arrested on Thursday had weakened and there was not enough basis for continued detention. As a result, the individual was released today. The remarks come from the press service citing prosecutor James von Reiss.
The department notes that the Russian woman remains a suspect despite the lifting of the detention order. Investigations are ongoing to gather more evidence.
When the arrest took place on April 14, authorities did not disclose details about the detention because the investigation had just begun. Information about nationality, gender, and age of those detained was not provided. Prosecutor Von Reiss said there was a lot of information circulating that he did not wish to confirm or deny.
Television channel TV4 reported that a Russian citizen along with several others were detained. Media outlets indicated that all had undergone questioning, but the prosecutor stressed that there is only one current suspect in the case.
Von Reiss emphasized that industrial espionage does not automatically amount to a crime related to national security. Had it been categorized as such, the case would have been handed to prosecutors handling national security matters.
What is known about the Russian woman
The Russian woman was employed at the Preem refinery in Gothenburg. A company spokesperson confirmed the arrest but clarified that the person identified was not a direct Preem employee but an operator working for a subcontractor.
Officials from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Russian Embassy in Stockholm have not yet issued statements regarding the Swedish police operation.
Status of the Kia brothers
Earlier in January, the Stockholm District Court handed down prison sentences to two men from different countries accused of spying for Russia. The case marked one of the most significant espionage trials in modern Swedish history.
Peyman Kia, 42, received a life sentence, while his brother Payam Kia, 35, was given a term of nine years and ten months for aggravated espionage. Peiman Kia is a former intelligence officer who previously served with Säpo, the Swedish security police, and with the Swedish armed forces and their military intelligence service Must. The court found him guilty of collecting approximately 90 classified documents during his tenure. His brother was accused of assisting in receiving and transmitting information in the interests of Russia.
Two years before their arrest, Säpo suspected that a spy was operating within the organization. The brothers were exposed and captured in 2021. The court noted that acts of espionage on behalf of Russia pose a serious security threat to Sweden and underscored that such activities should be treated as among the gravest offenses against the state.