When the world gets closer.

We help you see farther.

Sign up to our expressly international daily newsletter.

Already a subscriber? Log in .

You've reached your limit of one free article.

Get unlimited access to Worldcrunch

You can cancel anytime .

SUBSCRIBERS BENEFITS

Exclusive International news coverage

Ad-free experience NEW

Weekly digital Magazine NEW

9 daily & weekly Newsletters

Access to Worldcrunch archives

Free trial

30-days free access, then $2.90
per month.

Annual Access BEST VALUE

$19.90 per year, save $14.90 compared to monthly billing.save $14.90.

Subscribe to Worldcrunch
Geopolitics

Nordic 007: The Quiet Rise Of Russian Spies In Sweden

This week marks the opening of what's been described as the biggest Swedish espionage case since the end of the Cold War, as tensions rise in the face of the Russian war in Ukraine.

Nordic 007: The Quiet Rise Of Russian Spies In Sweden

Uppsala, the Swedish town where the Kia brothers lived.

Amélie Reichmuth

STOCKHOLM — “Disappear in Sweden,” “Prosecuted before questioning,” “Spy.”

These are a few examples of the 28 internet searches Payam Kia did shortly before being arrested in November 2021, according to Stockholm based daily Aftonbladet.

Stay up-to-date with the latest on the Russia-Ukraine war, with our exclusive international coverage.

Sign up to our free daily newsletter.

Two months earlier, his older brother Peyman, a former employee of the Swedish armed forces and security services, had been arrested on charges of aggravated espionage. The two brothers, who lived together in Uppsala, about an hour north of Stockholm, had long been suspected of sharing classified information. But it was only on November 11 that prosecutors brought charges against them, after having gathered enough evidence to support what has been described as Sweden’s largest espionage case since the end of the Cold War.


The trial of the brothers was set to begin Thursday behind closed doors at the Stockholm District Court; and while prosecutors believe financial gain was the motive, the case is drawing extra attention in Sweden and beyond for reasons that extend well beyond individual greed.

Over the last decade, due to rising geopolitical tensions, the threat from spies has increased all over Europe. According to a study published by the Swedish Total Defence Research Institute in May, the most active spies are in Northern Europe and the Baltics, and work in their vast majority on Russia’s behalf. No doubt the beginning of the war in Ukraine has raised the stakes, and activity, for those working undercover on both sides.

Brothers on the spot

On Tuesday, Swedish special forces arrested two people in their 60s in a residential area in Stockholm, suspected of having carried out damaging illegal intelligence activities for 10 years.

For Peyman and Payam Kia, it is not clear how, as the prosecution contends, they may have gotten caught in Moscow’s web. Originally from Iran, the Kia brothers came to Sweden as young children, and obtained Swedish citizenship in 1994. Peyman, 42, began his career within the government administration as a customs crime investigator, before moving on to the Security Service and then to the Military Intelligence and Security Service, where he also worked at the top-secret Office for Special Intelligence, an agency which, among other things, works with its own agents abroad and recruits spies outside Sweden's borders.

Payam, seven years younger, wasn’t as successful. He started studying at the police academy, dropped out after one semester, but somehow also ended up working for the Security Service for a short period.

Both are now accused of spying on behalf of Moscow between September 2011 and September 2021. Peyman and Payam Kia, who could each face a life sentence, deny the charges.

According to the prosecutors, the brothers worked on behalf of the GRU, the Russian military intelligence service: Peyman collected classified information through his work in the Swedish Armed Forces and the Security Services, while Payam was in charge of planning the operation with their liaison contacts and managing the financial compensation.

A 2018 photo of Swedish Marines during amphibious assault rehearsal in Korso, Sweden.

U.S. Department Of Defense/Russian Look via ZUMA

Baltic angle

With its geographic position, sharing the Baltic Sea coastline, Sweden is particularly exposed: The Security Service estimates that one third of the staff at Russian embassies are usually intelligence officers, which means that about 10-15 people at the Russian Embassy in Stockholm are believed to be actively spying.

Russian spying in Sweden does not limit itself to counterintelligence, but also includes industrial espionage: Last year, a 47-year-old man was sentenced three years in prison for spying for Russia by selling secret information from truckmaker Scania.

This is not a new phenomenon as such, and the general sentiment in the Nordics towards Russia has traditionally always been distrust, even fear. The Russian invasion of Ukraine and Sweden’s subsequent NATO application have deepened tensions, a threat that the authorities take very seriously.

Swedish identity

Sweden, which has not experienced a war on its territory in over 200 years, has been forced to abandon the non-alignment policy that used to be the foundation of its foreign policy for decades.

In a country that sees itself as a global model for humanitarian leadership, waking up to the reality of a dangerous world order marks the end of Swedish exceptionalism.

As Gunilla Herolf, a senior associate research fellow at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs, told The Guardian recently: “We have maintained one doctrine for 200 years. That’s a big deal. It means something to people. It becomes an identity issue.”

Meanwhile, as the country reflects on the changes in the air, the counterintelligence war silently carries on.

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

Green

A Naturalist's Defense Of The Modern Zoo

Zoos are often associated with animal cruelty, or at the very least a general animal unhappiness. But on everything from research to education to biodiversity, there is a case to be made for the modern zoo.

Photograph of a brown monkey holding onto a wired fence

A brown monkey hangs off of mesh wire

Marina Chocobar/Pexels
Fran Sánchez Becerril

-OpEd-

MADRID — Zoos — or at least something resembling the traditional idea of a zoo — date back to ancient Mesopotamia. It was around 3,500 BC when Babylonian kings housed wild animals such as lions and birds of prey in beautiful structures known as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

Ancient China also played a significant role in the history of zoos when the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) created several parks which hosted an assortment of animals.

In Europe, it wouldn't be until 1664 when Louis XIV inaugurated the royal menagerie at Versailles. All these spaces shared the mission of showcasing the wealth and power of the ruler, or simply served as decorations. Furthermore, none of them were open to the general public; only a few fortunate individuals, usually the upper classes, had access.

The first modern zoo, conceived for educational purposes in Vienna, opened in 1765. Over time, the educational mission has become more prominent, as the exhibition of exotic animals has been complemented with scientific studies, conservation and the protection of threatened species.

For decades, zoos have been places of leisure, wonder, and discovery for both the young and the old. Despite their past success, in recent years, society's view of zoos has been changing due to increased awareness of animal welfare, shifting sensibilities and the possibility of learning about wild animals through screens. So, many people wonder: What is the purpose of a zoo in the 21st century?

Keep reading...Show less

The latest