Is Sweden Africa’s Legal Good Samaritan?

[…] A peace-loving nation, it’s unlikely that genocides and war crimes will take place in Sweden in the near future. The law is also, however, subject to the unusual legal principle of Universal Jurisdiction. This means that crimes can be tried in Sweden regardless of where the crime took place or the nationality, residency or current location of the perpetrator and victim.

A report published in the UK by international criminal lawyer Steven Kay QC in May highlights problems with this approach that could have a significant impact in Africa. The Swedish Prosecutor’s Office, which has its own department of human rights, has the right under the 2014 law to launch investigations and prosecutions of individuals that should, by international convention, be heard at the ICC.

Steven Kay’s report details that the Swedish Prosecutor’s eleven-year investigation into Lundin Energy’s activities in southern Sudan does not meet the standard of evidence required by the ICC. The allegations at the heart of the case were also considered and thrown out by a US court when levelled at the Canadian Talisman Energy. Most disturbingly, the report details political pressure on the prosecutor from civil society organisations to pursue the case.

https://venturesafrica.com/is-sweden-africas-legal-good-samaritan/