Court in Sweden declares Skvortsov, who holds dual citizenship, innocent of espionage charges on behalf of Russia

A Swedish court in Stockholm has cleared a Swedish man of charges related to unlawful intelligence activity against the US and Sweden. Sergei Skvortsov, a Russian-born individual who owned import-export businesses, stood accused of providing Western technology to Russia's military intelligence service from 2013 to 2022. Throughout the trial, Skvortsov maintained his innocence. Defense lawyer Ulrika Borg expressed relief at the verdict, although prosecutors still have three weeks to appeal the decision. Henrik Olin, the prosecutor, claimed that Skvortsov acted as a "procurement agent," supplying electronics to Russia's military and its military intelligence service, GRU. According to the court proceedings, Skvortsov provided information on restricted goods before assisting in their purchase and transportation through misleading information. Olin sought a five-year prison sentence for Skvortsov, believing him to pose a significant threat to US and Swedish security. Skvortsov and his wife were arrested during a special forces operation in November 2022, but his wife was ultimately released without charges. From the moment of his arrest, Skvortsov has been transparent about his work, according to his lawyer, who added that it was entirely legal and aboveboard. The case was largely held behind closed doors, and an FBI official gave testimony during the trial. Skvortsov spent 11 months in custody before being released earlier this month, prior to his acquittal. Judge Jakob Hedenmo concluded that Skvortsov's actions largely aligned with Olin's allegations but emphasized that there was no evidence to suggest the activities were espionage-related. Sweden has experienced several espionage cases in recent months, prompting Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson to declare that the country faced its most severe security situation since World War Two, with state actors actively exploiting the situation. Following Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine in 2022, Sweden applied to join NATO, and this week, Turkey's president submitted a bill to ratify Sweden's bid, leaving only Hungary's approval pending. Last week, a married couple in their mid-50s was arrested on suspicion of handling classified information. The woman, who remains in custody, worked as an intelligence officer in the Swedish military's FRA signals intelligence unit and previously participated in military activities in Moscow during the 1990s. Her husband, a senior military officer who formerly served in Sweden's MUST military intelligence service, denies the allegations.