After being detained for a couple of days at the police station in Skellefteå, chief prosecutor Åsa Jonsson decided on Tuesday to release the 50-year-old man. However, the suspicion of "unauthorized access to a restricted area" remains, and the police investigation continues.
Norran reported on the arrest of the man on Saturday at the Swedish armed forces shooting range in Tåme, four miles north of Skellefteå. The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) is currently conducting tests for a foreign state (thought to be the UK) at the Tåme firing range.
The Skellefteå police have conducted a thorough investigation in recent days. The 50-year-old man was questioned at length, in the presence of lawyer Ida Viderlund. Säpo was also involved.
In addition, it was checked whether the man had been seen in similar restricted areas and whether he had taken pictures that could be used to document Swedish defense facilities and vehicles.
– No pictures have been found to support this suspicion; there were just normal pictures in the camera, says Johann Kristiansson of the Skellefteå police.
Did the intruder say what was he doing at the shooting range?
– He mentioned that he was interested in the military, that he took pictures of tanks and that he had worked as a military man before. His intention was never to trespass.
On Tuesday, chief prosecutor Åsa Jonsson decided to release the man on the basis of the material prepared by the police:
– Due to the reduced suspicion, there were no specific reasons to request the man's detention. However, the suspicion of "unauthorized access to a restricted area" remains and the police will continue to investigate.
Lawyer Ida Viderlund:
– Obviously, this is a positive decision for my client. During the interrogation he gave a long, clear and explicit explanation of why he was where he was arrested. There was no criminal intent in his actions; it was all a misunderstanding.