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USA puts three Swedish citizens on UN terrorist list (1)

01 April 2002

The United States has put three Swedish citizens, of Somalian origin, on the UN list for freezing the funds of terrorist suspects. The three men, Abdirisak, Ahmed Aliyusus and Abdulaziz Ali, are members of Al Barakaat, a network of organisations set up to allow Somali people around the world to send money back to their families and relatives in Somalia.

On 4 April is was reported that neither the Swedish Prime Minister, Goran Persson, nor the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Anna Lindh, reacted when they were placed on the UN list. After public reaction to the move they demanded evidence from the USA but the USA said they did not need to show any evidence. However, the "evidence" was sent to Sweden and analysed by the Swedish Security Police who officially said there was no substance in the material sent over.

The issues has been taken up by three Swedish MEPs who say they have been placed on the list "without a shred of evidence". Marianne Eriksson, of the European United Left (GUE), said: "These men - and even the partner of one of them have been left without any economic assets. It means they are without a salary or benefits. All this has been done without any legal evidence or preliminary investigation. We want to draw attention to their plight and the whole process under which they have been condemned. It shows that the UN framework on terrorism, which has been adopted by all EU member states, can be interpreted very widely."

Eriksson, along with fellow Swedish MEPs Herman Schmid and Jonas Sjostedt, has donated money to a 'fighting fund' which has been set up to help the men.