Artist Frej Larsson posted a picture of a fish he named after a female police officer on Instagram. According to the caption, the fish would be fileted before the election. The picture was followed by a song text where the police are mentioned by name.

The High Court convicts Frej Larsson for threats against an official on February 25, 2018. The penalty will be conditional judgment and 70 daily fines of SEK 200.

The Stockholm District Court found that it was not possible to prove that it was Frej Larsson who posted the picture on Instagram and that he did not intend to threaten the police with violence. The district court also wrote in the judgment that the main purpose of the artist with the song was to "forcefully use their language, protest that a police officer has stated on the question which shows that organizers should book".

The High Court writes that they make no other judgment than the district court with regard to the first charge: that it is not proven that Frej Larsson posted the picture on Instagram.

The cultural news has not succeeded in reaching Frej Larsson, but on Instagram he says in connection with the verdict:

- I do not think that it was a spectator or a defender that this is one of the most serious days of my life.

Serious fear

The High Court has a different view from the District Court as to the song that was named "Then she should be shot" and another song with the police name. It is believed that the texts have been used to arouse serious fear.

The lines of text that constitute the crime are, according to the Court of Appeal: "... fuck where you live", "[the name of the police] is an ugly fish and then all small fish should suffer" and "then she should be shot".

The High Court writes in the judgment that Frej Larsson "objectively committed a threat to an official" and that it was proven that he had intentionally. The High Court also believes that Larsson should have understood that the message would cause serious fear to the police.

Regarding the question of Frej Larsson's freedom of speech, the court of appeals writes: "However, the threat Frej Larsson has presented to a designated and named police has, according to the court of law, gone beyond what follows from the protection of freedom of expression"

Started after police strike against a gig

It all started with a police statement for the local newspaper Stockholm Direct after Frej Larsson had a gig at Södermalm in Stockholm. The police said in the article that the venue should not book artists like Frej Larsson when there was a lot of drugs. Larsson reacted strongly and shortly afterwards the Instagram picture and song were published.

The text is updated.

The cultural news is looking for Frej Larsson and prosecutor Zilla Hirsch.