In November last year, Lundin Energy’s former CEO Alex Schneiter was charged together with Ian Lundin for aiding and abetting war crimes in Sudan between 1999 and 2003. Later that month, Schneiter requested the District Court to reject the indictment against him claiming that Swedish courts have no jurisdiction over him. The District Court swiftly rejected his request. Schneiter appealed to the Svea Court of Appeal who agreed with the lower court’s decision. On 28 February he appealed the decision to the Swedish Supreme Court. 

Schneiter argues that Swedish courts do not have jurisdiction over him as there is no support in international law that universal jurisdiction can be applied over crimes committed in a non-international armed conflict or in situations when the accused is not voluntarily present in the territory of the State where he is indicted. If this argument is accepted by the Court, it will have wide-reaching consequences when it comes to Sweden’s ability to prosecute universal jurisdiction cases....

Schneiter’s legal team are exploiting every avenue which could prevent a trial or delay justice. This time, they are attempting to undermine a principle that has been key to ensuring that war crimes don’t go unpunished.