The message is to be read in an open letter published in, among other things, Dagens Nyheter. "Sweden is a democracy. This means that we have freedom of speech. We defend it by not being silenced by threats and insults from foreign diplomats, ”the letter states.
Signatures include the Swedish Publishers Association's CEO Kristina Ahlinder, Publicist Club chairman Robert Aschberg and Svenska Pens chairman Jesper Bengtsson.
Last year, China and Sweden Ambassador Gui Congyou threatened to "take action" against Sweden when the Swedish Pen awarded the Gui Minhai Tucholsky Prize in his absence.
Gui, a Swedish citizen, is imprisoned in China and has not been seen since 2018.