Political scandal in Sweden over sexual photos and a diplomat killed after being accused of being a spy.

BarcelonaThe Swedish government has been shaken in recent weeks by several events. that could be worthy of a political thriller script: sex scandals, alleged spies, and sudden deaths. It all began on May 8, when the government appointed former ambassador to Ukraine Tobias Thyberg as its new National Security Advisor. That same day, he was scheduled to travel with the prime minister to a meeting in Oslo. But a few hours later, he resigned. The reason was that half an hour after his appointment was announced, someone had sent both the government and some media outlets compromising photos of Thyberg, which he himself had sent via a dating app years earlier.

According to the newspaper Dagens NyheterThe photos came from an account the diplomat had opened on Grindr, an LGBTI dating app, but which he had closed before being appointed, following the recommendations of his new team at the Foreign Ministry. "I should have reported this, but I didn't. That's why I have announced that I do not intend to take on the role of national security adviser," the former diplomat argued. After submitting his resignation, Thyberg received harsh criticism from Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who He reproached him for having hidden important information during the security reviews prior to his appointment.

"Deliberately avoiding mentioning things that could be considered compromising or that could be discovered by a foreign power simply goes against all the rules. This cannot be done," argued the Conservative prime minister. The scandal has been a blow to Kristersson, who created the position of national security adviser in 2022.The first to occupy it was a childhood friend of Prime Minister Henrik Landerholm, who was forced to resign in January of this year, in this case accused of negligent handling of confidential information. In what is considered the most serious incident, classified documents were left unattended in a hotel, but before that, a phone had also been left at the Hungarian embassy.

That Thyberg was forced to resign so soon after Landerholm's high-profile resignation is obviously a severe blow to the government, especially to the prime minister, who created the position and ignored objections, even from members of his own party, when he chose a friend for the newly created post. "Failing twice in such a key position is extremely serious," said Peter Hultqvist, the Social Democrats' defense spokesman in parliament and former defense minister. "That creates an image of incompetence in Sweden."

This has also sparked a debate about whether someone should be fired just for sending nude photos, and the prime minister has even been accused of being homophobic or acting out of "moral panic," as three Swedish politicians pointed out in a joint article.

Diplomat accused of spying dead

But the Swedish government's headaches didn't end there. Four days after Thyberg's resignation, the secret services (Säpo) arrested a diplomat suspected of espionage. According to media reports, he was a high-ranking diplomat who had been posted to various embassies around the world. According to public television SVT, the investigation is linked to Thyberg's intimate photos and her resignation.

Swedish authorities have expressed concern in recent years about the growing threats from foreign powers such as Russia, China and Iran and groups involved in actions ranging from violent attacks and hybrid warfare to corporate espionage. In March, intelligence services warned that foreign powers were using hybrid activities to destabilize Sweden.

The following day, May 14, the diplomat was released on charges. The arrested man, who denied the allegations, described the arrest as "a terrifying experience" and reported the police for assault and misconduct. Footage of his apartment door broadcast on Swedish television showed that it had been forced open at the time of his arrest. The arrested man had requested medical attention for his injuries and filed a report alleging excessive use of force.

This was all strange enough until the final twist last Friday, when the diplomat, who had been released just two days earlier, was found dead. Police have said there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death, but an investigation is ongoing. Swedish media reported that he had spent extended periods of time outside Europe, most recently as an ambassador. When asked to confirm whether the deceased man was an ambassador, his lawyer declined to comment.