Swedish government defends press freedom, no apology planned

Aug 22, 2009, 13:54 GMT

Stockholm - Sweden has no plans to apologize for an article in a Swedish daily accusing Israel soldiers of killing Palestinians and plundering their organs, the government said Saturday, citing legislation protecting freedom of speech.

'No one can demand that the Swedish government violates its own constitution. Freedom of speech is an indispensable part of Swedish society,' Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt was quoted as telling the Swedish news agency TT.

The August 17 article by a freelance writer in the culture and arts section of Swedish daily Aftonbladet has generated outrage in Israel and demands there for an official apology by Stockholm.

'The government does not review individual articles or what is published in the press. That is not our task,' Foreign Minister Carl Bildt told Swedish radio news.

Earlier on his blog, Bildt wrote that Aftonbaldet had the responsibility to explain why it opted to publish an article 'there was strong reason to believe would generate strong reactions.'

Bildt told Swedish radio said he did not think Swedish ties with Israel would be harmed and said the countries had 'an interesting and good dialogue on the peace process in the Middle East.'

He is scheduled to visit Israel at the end of the month.

The foreign minister added he was 'concerned' if the Israeli public had the impression that anti-Semitic sentiments were tolerated in Sweden, saying: 'In my view that is not correct.'

Both Reinfeldt and Bildt made their remarks on the sidelines of a public meeting addressed by the premier in Vaxholm, just north of Stockholm.