Five months into his sentence, the Norwegian had to change prison for the second time, following threats from a fellow prisoner. He was relocated immediately.
Less than 20 minutes ago
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It appears from a decision from the Swedish Prison and Probation Service, the Swedish penal care, which VG has been given access to.
In January, it attracted attention that Runar Søgaard (54) after almost two months of imprisonment had received five warnings of its first institution, and was relocated.
Søgaard stayed in 2021 sentenced to one year and eight months in prison for tax evasion and bookkeeping violations.
He started serving his sentence in Svartsjö just outside Stockholm, an institution with the lowest of the three security levels Swedish prisons operate with, and no “escape barriers”.
However, the transfer to Täby, which is also located in the Stockholm area, meant that he received stricter conditions of imprisonment. This prison has level 2.
Stricter security level
Søgaard’s life in Täby, however, did not last for more than three months. The prison then initiated a request for his relocation.
“Due to threats from fellow inmates, he is no longer considered to be able to be placed in the institution,” it is stated in the decision from 13 April.
“Runar Søgaard has no objections in the case,” it continues.
Consequently, Søgaard is now zoning at the Österåker institution, which is located 30 km north of Stockholm and has a somewhat stricter level of security than Täby. Both are at level 2, but within this category there are certain differences.
–The decision emphasizes that Österåker has the degree of monitoring and control that is necessary to maintain safety.
The prison informs VG that the relocation has nothing to do with Søgaard’s own behavior.
According to the prison, he has no problems with threats from other inmates at his new institution.
Calls for spine
However, this does not mean that everything is joy and gloom at Österåker for Søgaard.
As VG wrote earlier this week, he has been there recently received a warning for having tried to influence employees and decision-makers to prioritize his needs – something Søgaard himself denies having done, according to the Swedish Prison and Probation Service’s decision on the warning.
It refers to an interrogation of Søgaard from 31 May, where he is critical of client managers. This is referred to as «total tone deafness».
– In Täby they were fellow human beings, but that antenna does not exist on this human being, Søgaard says there.
– If there was only a minimum of backbone or honor …
–According to the decision, Søgaard later backed down somewhat on these statements, but at the same time emphasized that he has experience of not being understood by client managers.
Furthermore, according to the decision, he has criticized Österåker for slow feedback on requests. In this field he praises his previous place of atonement.
– In Täby, there was great communication. And they would make it easier for the clients, would help and provide help to be able to move on.
Contact broken
Søgaard’s concern at Österåker is the lack of opportunity to contact people he works with.
In recent years, Nathalie Bergström has been a press contact for Søgaard. She says that she was not aware that Søgaard had moved to Österåker until recently.
– He is not allowed to call out, he is not allowed to call me now, Bergström says.
– When he moved to Täby, our contact was broken. There is no contact between us now.
VG has asked Søgaard’s lawyer for comment on this case.
The decision to transfer Søgaard reviews a number of points in the Swedish Prison Act that form the basis for the decision.
It is emphasized that prisoners should not be subjected to more intrusive surveillance and control than is necessary for security.
Consideration must also be given to the inmate’s need for employment, nursing and planning of release.
It is further emphasized that one should try to avoid an unfortunate mix of inmates.
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