Diplomat suspected of espionage dies suddenly in Sweden, case is related to ex-ambassador to Ukraine

A diplomat from the Swedish Foreign Ministry, who was suspected of espionage and who previously worked in one of the countries that currently has tense relations with the West, was found dead in Stockholm on Friday night after he was released on bail on Tuesday, but suspicions were not removed in the case of the resignation of the former Swedish ambassador to Ukraine Tobias Tyberg from the post of national security adviser, the Swedish newspaper Expressen reports, citing his lawyer.

"The diplomat served for many years in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He spent a long time outside Europe, the last few years as an ambassador. One of the countries where he worked has very tense relations with the West. Now he is dead," the newspaper said.

According to the publication, the deceased, who was in his 50s, has not been named. He was suspected of actions committed in Stockholm from May 1 to 11. The diplomat was arrested last weekend, while he always denied any charges.

SVT Nyheter, in turn, reports that the suspicions against the diplomat were linked to the case of another diplomat, Tobias Tyberg, who previously served as Sweden's ambassador to Afghanistan and Ukraine (2019-2023), was appointed national security adviser last week but resigned just hours after being appointed after intimate photos of him, which he had once privately posted on a social media site, were sent to government agencies by unknown individuals.

"Tyberg was officially appointed by the government at noon on Thursday as the new national security adviser after the previous security adviser, Henrik Landerholm, resigned under high-profile circumstances. Just half an hour after the government sent out a press release announcing that Tobias Tyberg had been appointed to the new position, an anonymous person sent intimate photos of Tyberg to government agencies. That same night, Tyberg announced that he would not be taking up the position," the publication said.

The resignation shook the government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Security Council of Sweden, and several employees in government agencies underwent renewed security training.

Three days after Tyberg's resignation, the State Security Service arrested the aforementioned diplomat in his own home, accusing him of suspicion. According to SVT, there is a connection between the circumstances of the receipt of intimate photos sent to government agencies and the investigation into suspected espionage against the detained diplomat. Tyberg is not suspected of any crime.