The Swedish Foreign Minister spoke about grief among his colleagues after it was revealed this week that the diplomat, questioned on suspicion of spying, was found dead.
The man, known as a high-ranking diplomat, was arrested by Swedish Sepot Intelligence Services on Sunday and released on Wednesday. He had denied any misconduct, but prosecutors said he remained suspect.
Foreign Minister Maria Malmar Stenegard issued a statement saying that her ideas were with the diplomats’ family, friends and colleagues, saying it was a difficult day.
She said she could not explain the incident more in detail. Police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.
Former Minister Karl Bild described the “tragically deceased ambassador” as extremely talented and capable, working in various roles within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Swedish reports say he was stationed outside Europe and most recently as ambassador. Asked to check if the deceased man was an ambassador, his lawyer, Anton Strand, said he had no comments.
Images of the door to the diplomat’s flat on Swedish television showed it was forced upon his arrest.
The diplomats were seeking treatment for injuries and submitted a report claiming the use of excessive force at the time. Sepo said the arrest was peaceful.
In a statement to the BBC, Strand said, “We have confirmed that his formal report on abuse during the arrest has been reached by the Special Investigation Department. An investigation into this has begun.”
Unconfirmed reports from public broadcaster SVT suggest that Sepo was investigating possible links to the sudden resignation of new national security adviser Tobias Tiberg, who has stopped several hours a day since taking on the role.
A few hours before he resigned, a sensitive photo of him was sent anonymously to the government on the dating app Grindr.
Strand did not comment on it, but said he received news of the client’s death early on Friday, and his thoughts were his family.
Prosecutors at Lindqvist Per told Swedish television that the death was extremely disappointing and that a preliminary investigation into alleged spying was not complete.
According to a Swedish report, the man was in his 50s and had temporarily returned to his home in Central Stockholm abroad for a long time.
