A senior diplomat in Sweden's Foreign Service was found dead Thursday night, just days after being arrested by the Swedish Security Service (Säpo) on suspicion of spying for a foreign country. According to reports, the diplomat was released from custody after suspicions against him were considered minor, but he immediately sought medical attention and filed a complaint against the police for excessive use of force. His death has now ignited controversy in Sweden, partly due to a possible connection to another scandal that has rocked the political establishment.
The arrest occurred Sunday evening when Säpo agents raided the apartment of the Foreign Ministry official, who has been identified in media reports only as a "senior diplomat" who had previously served in several embassies worldwide. According to his attorney, Säpo agents physically assaulted him during the detention. Security services maintained the operation proceeded relatively calmly, but the lawyer dismissed this as a "completely false interpretation," and the diplomat himself claimed he sustained injuries during the arrest. Following his release, the man admitted himself to a hospital and filed a formal complaint against the police, alleging brutality and procedural violations.
Breaking: Swedish diplomat and national security advisor Tobias Thyberg resigns after images from his account on gay dating app Grindr surface. Thyberg was ambassador to Ukraine and Afghanistan, and was absent from a scheduled meeting with PM Ulf Kristersson and Jonas Gahr Støre pic.twitter.com/e3YrWn3J4X
— Sonny "#450" Frogett (@1980sViceSquad) May 9, 2025
The circumstances surrounding his death have not been disclosed, and the exact location where he died remains undisclosed. The newspaper Aftonbladet reported that the Foreign Ministry received notification Friday morning, but authorities have declined to publicly confirm these details. Säpo has also not revealed the specific allegations against the man, stating only that their investigation centers on suspicions of espionage.
Sources from the SVT network suggest a possible connection between this case and the sudden resignation of Tobias Thyberg – Sweden's former ambassador to Ukraine, who was appointed head of the National Security Council (NSC) at the beginning of the week only to resign within 12 hours after compromising photos from the dating app Grindr were leaked online. Reports indicate suspicions that the leaked photos or the method by which they were obtained might be linked to the diplomat who was arrested and subsequently died, though the latter's attorney has refused to confirm or deny these allegations.
The entire affair remains under partial publication restrictions in Sweden, with police withholding additional findings. Currently, it remains unclear whether this involves espionage, extortion, or negligence by law enforcement, but the diplomat's death is expected to prompt serious questions regarding Säpo's conduct and governmental oversight of its operations.
