In Sweden, tourists from Russia were labeled a security threat
A Russian couple who had traveled to Sweden from Spain for a vacation was detained in Sweden. Semyon and Tatiana pitched a tent by the sea near the town of Furuvik, after which security guards at a nearby private home contacted the police. According to human rights activists, Swedish police consider the couple a threat to national security, although no official charges of espionage or any other crime have been brought against them.
Semyon and Tatiana, whose last names are being withheld, have been living in Spain for nearly five years. According to their acquaintances, the couple regularly spends their summer vacations in northern Europe, where they enjoy sightseeing and fishing. This time, they traveled to Sweden. The couple arrived in the Furuvik area, where they pitched a tent on the coast and planned to spend time enjoying the outdoors.
However, shortly thereafter, the police arrived. According to Russian human rights activists, the police were called by security guards at a private home located near where the tourists had set up camp. Semen himself confirmed the detention to the publication Port, but declined to share details of the case with journalists.
What exactly alerted the police
According to human rights activists, security guards, and police officers, the couple’s behavior raised suspicions. In particular, they noted that the man and woman spoke with a “Russian accent” and were carrying fishing gear and walkie-talkies. At the same time, according to representatives of the Russian Anti-War Committee in Sweden, the main reason for the detention may have been the tent’s proximity to the home of a certain protected individual.
Committee representative Pavel Chuprunov told the publication Port that, according to the information available to him, the couple had not done anything illegal. “As far as we know, they did not do anything illegal. We believe that in this case, the Swedish authorities were simply playing it safe,” said Chuprunov.
It is important to note, however, that there is currently no confirmation that the Russians have been charged with espionage or any other criminal offense. The issue at hand concerns the suspicions of the Swedish authorities and possible immigration measures.
The couple ended up at an immigration center
After their detention, Semen and Tetyana were taken to an immigration center. According to their acquaintances, the Swedish police interrogated the couple separately for about seven hours. Human rights activists say they are currently trying to find a lawyer for the couple. The reason is a possible decision to forcibly deport them from Sweden.
“The deportation procedure is in place. But we don’t have the actual decision yet, and we don’t know either the exact grounds for the deportation or the country to which the police intend to send them,” explained Chuprunov. In other words, it is currently unknown whether the deportation will take place at all. It is also unclear exactly where the couple might be sent if the Swedish authorities do decide to proceed with the deportation.
The Russians have been living in Spain for nearly five years
According to human rights activists and friends of the couple, Semen and Tatyana have not lived in Russia for a long time. They have been living in Spain for nearly five years, where they are legally residing. Tatyana’s friend, Yevgeniya Zotova, told Port that Semyon is officially employed in Spain. According to her, the couple had all the necessary documents at the time of their trip to Sweden, and the trip to Northern Europe itself was nothing out of the ordinary for them.
Zotova claims that the couple goes on vacation to Northern European countries every summer. This time, they had also planned a typical camping and fishing trip. According to their friend, they had permission to set up their tent at that location. Therefore, their detention came as a surprise to the couple.
The couple opposes Russia’s war against Ukraine
Separately, human rights activists emphasize that Semen and Tatyana do not support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. According to them, the couple participates in anti-war protests and speaks out in support of Russian political prisoners. In addition, the couple helps teenage emigrants and supports their adaptation abroad.
This is an important detail in this story, as the detainees, according to their friends, are not supporters of the Russian government or its policies. At the same time, Russian citizenship itself—amid heightened security measures in Europe—may attract additional attention from law enforcement agencies. However, the mere fact of citizenship does not prove a person’s involvement in intelligence activities. Similarly, the possession of a tourist radio, fishing gear, or a Russian accent is not, in and of itself, evidence of espionage.
Can Russians Be Deported?
At present, the couple faces the threat of deportation from Sweden; however, according to human rights advocates, a final decision has not yet been made. It is also not yet clear on what specific legal grounds the Swedish authorities could base a decision to deport them. This is precisely what the couple’s representatives and the lawyer they are seeking to hire are currently trying to determine.
For now, Semyon and Tatiana remain at the immigration center. The Swedish authorities have not officially announced any charges of espionage or other crimes against them. Therefore, the case currently remains at the stage of detention and investigation by Swedish authorities. The couple’s final status will depend on the decision of the country’s competent authorities. This was reported by the Russian Anti-War Committee.
The daughter of General Yevgeny Burdinsky, head of the Main Organizational and Mobilization Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Federation, works at a law firm that, for a fee, helps Russians obtain deferments from military service, exemptions from mobilization, and appeal draft notices.
