Estonia rejects most Swedish inmates under prison deal, accepts four in first transfer

Estonia rejected more than half of the first group of 18 Swedish inmates Sweden sought to transfer under a prison-rental agreement, allowing only four to arrive in Tartu on Tuesday, according to Estonian and Swedish officials.

A charter flight carrying the four inmates departed Linköping at 10:30 a.m. and landed at Ämari military air base in Estonia an hour later, Estonian public broadcaster ERR reported. The inmates, all male Swedish citizens, were then transported to Tartu Prison under armed escort, where they underwent intake procedures before being placed in a designated unit news.err.ee/1610113024/photos-first-swedish-prisoners-arrive-at-tartu-under-prison-rental-deal.

Tiina Unuks, head of prison operations at Estonia’s Ministry of Justice, said Estonia rejected the majority of Sweden’s initial requests because the inmates’ profiles did not align with the agreement’s terms. “We informed Sweden that they were not suitable,” Unuks told Expressen, adding that Sweden must now reassess its candidate list svd.se/a/Gx5Rjx/majoritet-av-svenska-fangar-stoppades-av-estland.

Estonian Justice Minister Liisa Pakosta confirmed that the rejected inmates would not be admitted, emphasizing that Estonia reserves the right to refuse categories such as gang criminals and those convicted of severe violent offenses. “These people will not come to Estonia,” Pakosta said aftenposten.no/verden/i/JOL8gj/estland-avviser-svenske-fanger.

Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer acknowledged the rejections as part of an expected calibration process. “It is natural and rather undramatic that at the start of such cooperation, there is a kind of calibration of the forms around this,” Strömmer told Svenska Dagbladet svd.se/a/Gx5Rjx/majoritet-av-svenska-fangar-stoppades-av-estland.

The agreement, signed in June, allows for up to 600 Swedish inmates to serve their sentences in Tartu Prison. Rait Kuuse, director of the Estonian Prison Service, said each inmate is assessed individually, and Estonia makes the final decision. “If we do not have enough information about a person or doubts arise about their suitability, we do not give consent,” Kuuse stated news.err.ee/1610113024/photos-first-swedish-prisoners-arrive-at-tartu-under-prison-rental-deal.

Estonian authorities have also clarified that the agreement excludes inmates involved in organized crime, terrorism, or radicalization, as well as women, minors, and other specified categories. According to Expressen and Delfi, Estonia has blocked 20 of 37 inmates submitted so far due to suspected ties to organized crime or radicalization risks expressen.se/nyheter/sverige/estland-stoppade-majoriteten-av-svenska-fangar.

The first group’s arrival marks the beginning of a gradual ramp-up, with Sweden planning to reach full capacity by next summer. Kuuse noted that either country can terminate the agreement with 12 months’ notice, and political parties in Estonia, including Isamaa and the Center Party, have pledged to do so if they gain power news.err.ee/1610112823/revoking-swedish-prison-rental-scheme-just-requires-political-will.

Tartu Prison director Merle Ulst said staff had prepared for over a year, and the first inmates’ reception proceeded as planned news.err.ee/1610113024/photos-first-swedish-prisoners-arrive-at-tartu-under-prison-rental-deal.