• Sweden edition

Still no charges for US-held Swede in Iraq

Published: 14 May 09 06:12 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/19438/20090514/

Sweden’s foreign ministry is still waiting for details about the charges against a 40-year-old Swedish citizen who has been held by American authorities in Iraq for nearly one year.

“No, we have nothing more than that he is a so-called security-detainee,” said Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Petra Hansson to the TT news agency.

The man, 40-year-old Ahmad Hamad, came to Sweden with his family from Iraq in 2000 and took up residence in Norrkoping in central Sweden.

Hamad, who hold both a Swedish and Iraqi passport, has been held since May 8th last year by American forces in Camp Cropper west of Bagdad.

Hamad’s wife has said her husband is not politically active. According to her, Hamad was arrested in his former hometown of Ramadi, while there in conjunction with his efforts to start a construction company.

Hamad was visited last June by staff from Sweden’s embassy in Jordan. He was visited again in February of this year, but Sweden’s foreign ministry has yet to learn from the Americans what he may have done to warrant the detention.

“We have said that he ought to be given a public defender and that he should be treated humanely and according to international law,” foreign ministry spokesperson Amelie Heinsjö told TT.

TT/The Local (news@thelocal.se/08 656 6518)

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07:12 May 14, 2009 by kittennipple
You think he should be given a defender and treated humanly? How about raise some frekin hell! If they held an american citizen for one year without saying why our government would making a bit stronger demands than that!
09:29 May 14, 2009 by Nemesis
If Sweden had held a US national for a year, the bombing and invasion would have already happened. The members of the Rikstag, would have already been tried and hung.

Also Sweden needs to ask, what the hell is an asylum seeker from Iraq, doing back there?

If there had been genuine danger, they still not be able to go back. This was obviously a false asylum claim, whcih raises my suspicions as to what he is doing in Iraq again.
09:51 May 14, 2009 by antoniolgj
Ok let me see if I understood right...

The guy left Iraq in 2000, probably because his life was in "danger". Then he returns there to starts a "construction" business.

What a joke...

The guy is a terrorist and as such he should be locked in a cage forever. Luckily US and Israel have the guts to clean the world from these scumbags.

BTW who will be the first to defend this Muslim martyr?

Tony.
10:06 May 14, 2009 by jacks
Obviously indicates migration board to redefine their procedures of assessment of asylum cases not merely on stories but on the basis of systematic investigation even at asylum seekers' home countries. So that they might not have to reach out to Iraq for seeking defenders of their honorable citizens.
10:57 May 14, 2009 by Eurostan
sweden is good base for terrorists. a swedish passport holder can travel easily without visa more than hundred countries.

in future it will make a big problem for swedish passport holders. sweden made a big mistake by allowing these asylem and refugees(muslims) and citizenship by fake marriages. there are also vietnam and latin america immigrants they proved that they are good immigrants . stop immigration from muslim countries and allow immigrants from china india and other non muslim countries .

sweden should wake up before situation going out of hands.
11:42 May 14, 2009 by antoniolgj
You are right Eurostan,

This is already happening to British people. The NuLabor has given British passport to any rubbish that applied, and thousands did.

Today the good indigenous British are paying the price for this mistake.

PS. I'd also be very careful with immigration from India and China.

Tony
13:12 May 14, 2009 by Eurostan
from observing last 6 month news it seems that all criminals from rosengard to terrorists from middle east got swedish pass ports and became swedish citizens.

other countries who are allowing swedish passport holders without visa must observe this and take precausions.
16:30 May 14, 2009 by tigger007
sweden wants to intergrate their country to be more like the modern states!! SWEDEN WAKE UP!! u can't allow NON christian in a christian state! when u have a christian state most of the laws are steeming from christian ways(the bible). u can't expect NON christians to follow a christian set of laws. that's way sweden is having so many problems with muslims,these muslims want to do business as they always done in their home country. if u move to a country u must follow their laws and respect their people and way of life. some people are gonna say WHAT ABOUT FREEDOM OF RELIGION!!! fine have that but still respect the laws that was laid down by your new country. a christian can't move to iran and do business as they always done in their home country.
17:08 May 14, 2009 by Swedeofile
Could it be that the government knows a few more facts about this citizen then we do and have concluded everyone including him is better of keeping him where he is.
19:56 May 16, 2009 by alaskanswede
humanly and international law, what a joke! The next time they cut off the head of an aid worker you should take their place. Because they'll do it humanly and with international law!!!!
20:00 May 16, 2009 by Mzungu
Who gives a toss anyhow?

*not I*
19:59 May 17, 2009 by DamnImmigrant
Leaving Iraq in 2000 would have made a lot of sense if you had pissed of what's his name, the dead dictator. Now that what' his name is gone, it makes sense to go back. It would not be the same country he left.

I have heard the stories of people who seek asylum claiming they cannot go home because they will be killed if they return. Once they are granted Swedish citizenship they then travel back to the very countries where they claimed they would be killed. And the Swedish government does NOTHING with regards to their lies that got them citizenship!

This does not sound like one of those cases at all. It would be nice to find out what he was accused of.

Maybe the competition did not like his business invading their territory and so they removed the competition by claiming he was a terrorist 8-O
04:31 May 18, 2009 by freethinker
Tigger 007, How do you mean Sweden is a Christian Nation? There really isn't a thing called Christian Law... at least not in that sense you seem to mean it. Are you refering to Judeaic Laws? Oooo, something comes to mind...in the New Testament Christ said to love your neighbor as you would yourself, hmmm... you do not seem to be following that. I do not think Sweden is a Christian State, not exactly anyway. WHat's wrong with non Christians? Are you saying only Christains can be decent, upstanding, law abiding, and good people? There are about a billion people in China, their culture adheres to an honor code. Most there would be Bhudist or Daoists.

What's wrong with their choice to believe as they do? Please listen very carefully. Different is not necessarily bad, different is simply different. The dark ages are long over, and I hope your kind of thinking gone with it. You sound like an isolationist, if so you're welcome to your views, yet if you have something to express it's best you do so reasonably and contructively. Don't antagonize others for their tolerance and open mindedness.

Hmmm... are you concerned that people coming to Western countries might not be able to accept Western principles? That's for each Western Country to decide for itself. You seem to be berating people in other countries for not doing as you want...well... life is full of disappointments, so get used to it. There is no harm in saying " hey I think that maybe ill advised, and offering a suggestion", yet you seem to be trying to cram your beliefs down other peoples throats. Normally I would simple ignor dribble such as yours, yet this time I simply wanted to say...hey, chill out, Euopeans will work things out for themselves.
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