A climate activist has been convicted of disobeying law enforcement after a climate action but avoids punishment for the crime. The district court justified the decision on the grounds that the activist acted to avert an “acute emergency”.
In August this year, the male climate activist participated in a car blockade in Stockholm, according to the Swedish channel TV4. The 40-year-old was then convicted of disobeying law enforcement after he “disturbed public order” and disobeyed police orders to move.
However, a divided district court decided not to punish the activist. The reason is that they believe he acted “because an important interest protected by the legal system is in danger and he committed his act in order to avert this danger”.
“It is a matter of acute emergency, and therefore it is obviously inappropriate to impose a penalty”, writes the Stockholm District Court.
However, Judge Axel Petersson and even a third lay judge wanted to impose daily fines on the activist.
“We did not think that there were any conditions for remission”, Petersson told the tax-funded state broadcaster P4.
Judge Petersson could not give the exact reason why no fines were imposed, but he suggests that it might be related to the general commitment to environmental issues.