Swedish populist leader Jimmie Åkesson has been reported to the police for inciting “hate” after handing out “Sweden is full” flyers in Turkey this week.
Swedish attorney Behrang Eslami reported the Sweden Democrat (SD) leader to the police, claiming that Åkesson was engaging in incitement against a group of people by handing out the flyers near Turkey’s border with Greece.
“I believe that it is everyone’s right to seek asylum in Europe or in Sweden,” Elsami told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet.
“To go down and try to persuade people, who are fleeing for their lives and in need, not to go to Europe. It is in principle wrong and it violates human rights,” he claimed.
Åkesson responded to the police report, telling broadcaster TV4, in comments reported by Nyheter Idag, that he considered himself a voice for many Swedes, pointing to recent opinion polls that have shown his party as the most popular in the country.
“I think it is pretty clear when you look at opinion polls and other things that the Swedish people want a more restrictive immigration policy than the one we have had so far,” he said.
Lawyer Anton Strand, who was hired by Åkesson, also dismissed the police complaint, telling Nyheter Idag: “It seems to me that people have sought attention rather than wanted to make a serious complaint.”
“Notifying a person without basis can in itself constitute a criminal act and my client is also considering reporting the lawyer to the Law Society,” he added.
Åkesson’s handing out of the flyers, which stated, “Sweden is full. Don’t come to us! We can’t give you more money or provide housing. Sorry about this message,” is not the first time a country or politicians have tried to dissuade migrants from coming to Europe.
In 2018, Belgium launched a social media campaign directed at migrants, stating that many of the promises made by people-traffickers about Europe were actually myths.