VZCZCXRO4518
PP RUEHAT
DE RUEHSM #0192/01 0441002
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 131002Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9765
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHZJ/HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION COLLECTIVE
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 0246

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STOCKHOLM 000192 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR DRL 
STATE FOR EUR/PPD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PTER SCUL ECPS EINT PINS PROP KPAO KMDR
SW 
SUBJECT: SWEDISH GOV'T PRESSURES COMPANY TO SHUT DOWN 
WEBSITE WITH MOHAMMED CARTOONS 
 
STOCKHOLM 00000192  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (U)  Summary.  On February 9 a Swedish internet company 
shut down a small, right-wing political party website that 
featured the Jyllands-Posten Mohammed cartoons and planned 
to publish additional ones.  The Swedish government, which 
beforehand had cautioned the company on the danger the 
images posed to Swedish lives and interests, denies it 
forced the shut-down.  The web-site editor, and associated 
political party secretary disagree, accusing the government 
of improper interference with the freedom of expression. 
The Foreign Minister in a February 9 official statement 
characterized the website's actions as "provocation," and 
apologized for the existence of Swedish extremists "who 
insult other people's religion."  The Minister, in comments 
to the press the same day, expressed government fears of 
the potential reaction in the Middle East and beyond to the 
website's publication of the cartoons.  End Summary. 
 
Website Shut Down After Caution From MFA, Police 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶2.  (U)  On February 10 Sweden's domestic media gave 
prominent coverage to the shutting down of the far-right 
party Sverigedemokraterna (SD) website, which had published 
drawings of the prophet Mohammed.  The site -- 
www.sd-kuriren.info -- was shut down late on February 9, 
after Sweden's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Swedish 
Security Police (SAPO) contacted the webhost.  Sweden's 
leading daily paper Dagens Nyheter noted that SAPO had for 
a long time been monitoring the SD site content and 
considered that, in light of the recent violence spurred by 
the Mohammed cartoon controversy, it presented a danger for 
Sweden and Swedes abroad.  The paper quotes SAPO Chief Klas 
Bergenstrand as stating "We have had contact with the web 
host and presented our threat assessment, the content of 
which is secret."  The news story quotes an executive in 
the web host company, Levonline, as stating that "We 
determined that it was best [to shut down the site] after 
SAPO and the Foreign Ministry contacted us." 
 
ForMin Apologizes for Existence of Swedish Extremists; 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶3.  (U)  Foreign Minister Freivalds on February 9 issued an 
official statement "On the Provocation by SD-Kuriren," 
criticizing Sverigedemokraterna for arranging a competition 
for cartoons depicting caricatures of the Prophet 
Mohammed.  In the statement Freivalds noted "I will defend 
freedom of the press no matter what the circumstances, but 
I strongly condemn the provocation by SD-Kuriren.  It 
displays a complete lack of respect."  Freivalds stated "It 
is deplorable that a small group of extremists expose 
Swedish citizens and Swedish interests to clear danger." 
She then formally apologized, "I apologize that there are a 
few individuals in Sweden who are so callous and who 
consciously insult other people's religion."  The same day 
Freivalds on February 9 told Radio Sweden that the 
SD-Kurirens website contained the cartoons that appeared in 
Denmark's Jyllands-Posten, and an additional one depicting 
Mohammed looking in a mirror, with the reflection's eyes 
blocked out by a banner reading "Mohammed's self 
censorship."  SD-Kuriren intended to publish the yet-unseen 
competition drawings both on-line and in its bi-monthly 
party newspaper's March edition. 
 
¶4.  (U)  Background.  Sverigedemokraterna is a right-wing, 
nationalist party that won 1.4 percent of the vote in the 
last (2002) general election -- far below the 4 percent 
threshold necessary to gain seats in parliament.  SD's 
party newspaper, SD-Kuriren, is published bi-monthly in the 
city of Lund in the south of the country. 
 
Fears Sweden's Involvement in Cartoon Controversy 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶5.  (U)  Freivald's statement, and the Foreign Ministry and 
SAPO contact with SD's webhost, follow media reports in the 
Middle East earlier this week commenting on the SD cartoon 
competition.  On February 7 Israel's Yedioth Group's Ynet 
News posted an online story about the SD contest. On 
February 8 the Middle East's Al Bawaba Group news website 
posted an article stating "a rightist Swedish newspaper on 
Tuesday launched a new competition of drawings on the 
profit Mohammed."  The Al Bawaba piece commented: "Thus far 
Sweden has remained relatively clear of the cartoon row. 
Tuesday's developments will likely change this, however, 
 
STOCKHOLM 00000192  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
with several Muslim groups already calling for the 
destruction of SD-Kuriren."  The Dagens Nyheter article 
(noted above) said the Syrian government had called in 
Sweden's ambassador to complain about this issue.  It 
quoted Foreign Minister Freivalds as commenting that in 
fact several media outlets in the Middle East have reported 
that "a large Swedish newspaper" publicized the Mohammed 
caricatures.  In the February 9 interview with Radio 
Sweden, Freivalds said the SD story had drawn a reaction 
from Damascus, and expressed fear that similar reactions 
would come from other directions. 
 
Minister Denies Gov't Forced Shut-down; Editor, Party Sec. 
See Otherwise 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (U)  Freivalds has since denied (in an interview with 
Radio Sweden) media allegations that the government obliged 
Levonline to shut down the SD site.  She has stated that 
the MFA and Police only informed Levonline of the 
consequences dissemination of the images could have for 
Swedish interests, and that the company subsequently made 
its own decision to shut down the site.  SD-Kuriren chief 
editor Richard Jomshof told Radion Sweden that SD is a 
legal party that has broken no Swedish laws.  He expressed 
surprise and dismay that the Foreign Ministry would contact 
a private internet company about a political party website 
operating within the law.  SD party secretary Bjorn Soder 
told Sweden's TT news service that he believes "political 
powers" are behind the decision to shut down the website. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  As this issue plays itself out we will 
undoubtedly gain a clearer understanding of the actions and 
motivations of the parties involved.  For now, however, it 
appears that the authorities -- highly fearful of Muslim 
extremist reaction and consequent threat to Swedish lives 
and interests around the globe -- pressed Levonline to shut 
down the SD party website. 
 
NOBLE