Sweden Charges Ex-Security Adviser for Leaving Classified Papers at Hotel

Swedish prosecutors on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, charged Henrik Landerholm, the nation’s former national security adviser, with careless handling of secret information after he allegedly left classified documents at a conference hotel in 2023. The case, unfolding in Attunda District Court, has reignited debates over security protocols in Sweden amid heightened geopolitical tensions.

Landerholm, appointed by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in 2022, is accused of negligence that could have compromised national security. According to the indictment, he forgot sensitive documents in an unlocked safe while departing the hotel, materials prosecutors say contained “information of a secret nature” whose exposure to a foreign power might harm Sweden. The papers were later retrieved by a colleague after being discovered by hotel staff, but the breach prompted a criminal probe. Landerholm resigned in January 2025 as the investigation escalated.

The incident is one of several slip-ups tied to Landerholm, including leaving his phone at Hungary’s embassy during NATO talks and a notebook at a radio studio. His lawyer has not commented, but Landerholm previously claimed the 2023 event was reported internally and deemed minor. Prosecutors disagree, arguing the risk warranted charges, especially given the finder’s alleged links to a “violent extremist environment.”

Sweden, a new NATO member, faces growing scrutiny over its security apparatus as Russia’s actions loom large. The trial, set to probe Landerholm’s intent and the documents’ sensitivity, could see him fined or jailed for up to two years if convicted. For a nation priding itself on meticulous governance, the case underscores the high stakes of safeguarding secrets in an uncertain world.