Estonia's plan to rent prison space to Sweden sparks fears of imported organised crime

Published on 07/06/2025 - 12:12 GMT+2

Estonia will lease abstraction astatine Tartu Prison to Sweden and judge up to 600 inmates nether a caller statement being negotiated betwixt nan 2 countries. The draught authorities has been sent to nan parliament.

Meanwhile, nan Estonian Office of nan Chancellor of Justice and nan Internal Security Service emphasise nan risks that placing overseas prisoners successful Tartu whitethorn bring.

Amid nan imaginable worsening business for nan Estonian prisoners, nan main interest is that group pinch connections to extremism aliases world organised crime whitethorn get successful Estonia.

The Internal Security Service has forwarded nan recommendations to nan authorities and hopes that it will return them into relationship to nan top grade possible.

Marta Tuul, spokesperson of nan Internal Security Service commented connected Estonian TV:

"The main concerns we spot are that group pinch connections to extremism aliases world organised crime do not get successful Estonia. We besides spot that overseas prisoners whitethorn statesman to beryllium visited by individuals pinch connections to extremism aliases world organised crime."

Falling numbers successful Estonia

In 2023, nan number of inmates successful Estonia dropped beneath 2,000 for nan first clip and has been decreasing by astir 1 100 group each year. Meanwhile, nan Swedish authorities intends to enforce tougher and longer sentences, making it improbable that nan number of prisoners location will diminution successful nan adjacent future.

Indrek-Ivar Määrit, Head of Inspection Department of nan Office of nan Chancellor of Justice told Estonian nationalist TV:

"For us, location are 3 main concerns here: Firstly, nan business of Estonian prisoners must not worsen because overseas prisoners are coming. Secondly, these overseas prisoners themselves must beryllium treated successful accordance pinch Estonian rule and world requirements. And thirdly, successful nan broadest sense, Estonia's soul information should not beryllium endangered, and we are not only mindful of nan threat that these group themselves pose, but besides nan threat that whitethorn travel this process."

For Swedish offenders, nan Estonian authorities plans to usage nan S-Wing of Tartu Prison, which has astir 350 places crossed 175 cells, followed by nan E-Wing, which has 631 places successful 318 cells.

Rait Kuuse, Secretary General for Prisons astatine nan Ministry of Justice further elaborated connected nan plams:

"We for illustration not to judge prisoners who are women aliases children. These would beryllium antheral prisoners, either group convicted of crimes against nan personification aliases convicted of supplier crimes, who do not person signs of being portion of a web and who should not airs a important threat to Estonia arsenic a whole."

Through nan agreement, Estonia hopes to make astatine slightest €30 cardinal successful further revenue.