Stockholm attack: Rakhmat Akilov admits 'terrorist crime'

The prime suspect in the Stockholm terror attack in Sweden has confessed to a "terrorist crime", says his lawyer.

Johan Eriksson told a district court that Rakhmat Akilov "admits to a terrorist crime and accepts therefore that he will be detained".

Following his statement, "the rest of the hearing was held behind closed doors at the request of the public prosecutor's office," says The Guardian.

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Akilov, 39, from Uzbekistan, is alleged to have driven a truck down a busy shopping street in the Swedish capital on Friday, killing four, including one Briton, and injuring 15 others.

He "will have certain restrictions placed on him while in custody, including not being able to use mobile communications," reports the BBC.

He was refused a request to have his state-appointed lawyer replaced with a Sunni Muslim.

Police have revealed that they had been searching since February for Akilov, who had been denied residency in Sweden and faced deportation.

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven and interior minister Anders Ygeman both expressed frustration at the failure to find and deport him.

Ygeman said: "There needs to be further measures. Without a doubt people who don't have asylum or do not need protection should return."

Business Insider Nordic says that once "the first wave of shock starts settling, the Swedish political debate will surely centre on how to handle deportations going forward".

There are currently around 12,000 migrants awaiting deportation from the country.

Fears for Sweden's open society after lorry terror attack

10 April

A failed asylum-seeker who was known to the security services was behind Friday's terrorist attack in Stockholm, say Swedish police.

Officials say the 39-year old man from Uzbekistan, who has not yet been officially named, was known to have extremist sympathies and expressed support for Islamic State.

He reportedly went on the run from immigrations officials after his asylum request was rejected in June 2016 and he was notified of his upcoming deportation.

He was arrested on Friday. A second person has also been arrested, although Reuters suggests they were involved to a "lower degree".

Four people were killed and more than a dozen injured when a stolen beer truck was driven into a department store in the busy Drottninggatan street shopping district. Among them was Briton Chris Bevington, a 41-year-old music director who lived in the Swedish capital with his family.

His father John said they were "devastated" by the "untimely and tragic death of our talented, compassionate and caring son Chris".

Two Swedes and a Belgian national were also killed.

The crude attack was similar in style to those carried out by "lone wolves" inspired by IS in London, Berlin and Nice. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the Stockholm attack.

It has sparked a fresh debate about immigration in the country, with experts predicting it will fuel support for the far-right Sweden Democrats party in next year's general election.

"Sweden has long taken pride in its tolerant liberal democracy and been among the world's most welcoming nations to immigrants," says Reuters. "But some Swedes are having second thoughts."

The Economist predicts the attack will play into the hands of the far-right, anti-immigrant party, which "some polls show has become the second-most-popular in the country, though it is shunned by the rest of the political establishment due to its Nazi roots".

Mattias Karlsson, Sweden Democrats parliamentary group leader, said he felt "anger and sorrow, but not shock" over the attack.

"Unfortunately, there have been clear signs that it was just a question of time. It will have far-reaching implications for society and politics," he said.

Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, a Social Democrat, remained defiant after the attack and vowed that terrorists would not change the Swedish way of life.

However, The Guardian forecasts political clashes over the tragedy will not be far off. "Critics of the government accuse it of creating a haven for Islamist fanatics," says the paper.

With its proud history of tolerance, Sweden has long been a key destination for many migrants.

At the height of the refugee crisis in 2015, the country accepted more than 160,000 asylum applications, a higher per-capita rate than any other European nation. Stricter controls have since been introduced, but Sweden remains a desirable location for many fleeing war and persecution.

Anna Carlstedt, Sweden's national coordinator against violent extremism, said she could understand why people are asking whether Sweden has been "too open [or] naive" in its immigration policy.

However, she told the Guardian, "at the same time we need to be extremely careful and ask ourselves, is it true that countries with very repressive policies and legislation have been spared?"

Stockholm lorry crash: Three killed as driver ploughs into store

7 April

At least three people have died after a lorry ploughed into a department store in the Swedish capital of Stockholm.

It collided with pedestrians at Ahlens shopping centre on the busy Drottninggatan street shortly before 3pm.

Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said: "Everything indicates that it is a terrorist act."

Video footage showed shoppers fleeing the scene in the immediate aftermath.

"There are reports of shots being fired but they have currently not been confirmed," said the Stockholm police website.

"There are injured people but we have no further details on the extent of their injuries and the number of people injured."

Police urged the public to avoid the area around the shopping centre.

Sky News reports that "a suspect is thought to have run towards an underground station and a manhunt is underway". The city metro is closed and rail services in and out of the capital have been suspended.

Journalist Martin Svenningsen, who was travelling on a nearby bus at the time, said "large numbers" of people had been thrown to the ground and that he had seen "battered bodies".

Reports suggest the vehicle was hijacked, although the driver was not inside at the time. Stockholm-based news site The Local reports that the truck, which belonged to brewery company Spendrups, was stolen while on a distribution run this afternoon.

Marten Lyth, Spendrups communication director, said: "Someone jumped into the driver's cabin and drove off with the car, while the driver was unloading."

Sveriges Radio reported that one person had been arrested in connection with the incident. However, this was later denied by Swedish police.