Swedish diplomat found dead days after arrest on espionage charges

The man's lawyer said his client had denied the charges against him

Sweden's Foreign Ministry has confirmed that one of its employees has died. Getty Images

A Swedish diplomat has been found dead days after he was released following his arrest in Stockholm on charges of spying, his lawyer has said.

The Scandinavian nation's security service Sapo made the arrest on Sunday, but gave no details about the case or the suspect's identity when it was announced on Monday.

Broadcaster SVT reported the following day that the man was a top diplomat who had served at several Swedish embassies. It said that Sapo was investigating a potential connection to the resignation of the government's national security adviser last week. The man was still being treated as a suspect after his release, prosecutors said.

The diplomat's lawyer, Anton Strand, has now confirmed his client was the diplomat arrested, though he declined to comment on the cause of the man’s death.

"I heard the tragic news this morning and my thoughts go to his family," said Mr Strand.

The lawyer has previously said that his client denied the allegations against him and maintained "that he has done nothing wrong".

Mr Strand also said his client had gone to a hospital after being released on Wednesday and reported police for using excessive force during his arrest but did not provide details about the extent of the injuries.

Police said they had opened an investigation into the death, but "there is no suspicion a crime has been committed".

Swedish journalist Joakim Medin is awaiting trial in Turkey. AFP

Sweden's Foreign Ministry confirmed that one of its employees had died but declined to comment further.

"We can regrettably confirm that an employee of the foreign service has passed away,” said the ministry. “Out of concern for the relatives we will refrain from giving further detail."

Prosecutors said the arrest of the diplomat, and that of Swedish citizen who acted as representative for Kurds in northern Syria, were not linked to a journalist facing terrorism charges in Turkey.

Joakim Medin is currently in custody in Turkey awaiting trial on a charge of being a member of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), an allegation he denies.

Mr Medin was detained at Istanbul airport on March 27 when he flew in to cover mass protests gripping Turkey.

A Turkish court last month handed the 40-year-old an 11-month suspended sentence on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In order to persuade Turkey to drop its veto when Sweden applied to join NATO, the countries made a deal that included increased collaboration on "terrorism".

SVT also reported this week that Sapo was investigating whether the case was connected to a scandal that hit Swedish National Security Adviser Tobias Thyberg.

Mr Thyberg resigned within hours of his May 8 appointment after "sensitive" photos of him from a dating app were sent anonymously to media and the government.

SVT, which has not specified its sources, said the diplomat arrested was not Mr Thyberg, who served as Sweden's ambassador to Ukraine and Afghanistan among other positions over a 24-year career.