The preliminary investigation, taken over by prosecutors at the Prosecutor's Office for International and Organized Crime, concerns a disappearance in Uppsala on March 2 this year, according to a press release.

A single disappearance of that date has been noted earlier: A Pakistani journalist who was last seen and heard just on March 2 and who a few days later was reported missing by his relatives.

Put the lid on

TT has been in contact with the Prosecutor's Office, who does not want to specify what case it is that the national unit has taken over. The prosecutor who is leading the investigation will keep all details secret for the time being, the authority's press service announces.

The missing Pakistani is the editor-in-chief of a government-critical news site that reports, among other things, on human rights violations and government abuse in Baluchistan in southwestern Pakistan. He fled his homeland in 2012, citing a threat, and later received asylum in Sweden. Here he has continued his journalistic work and been active at Uppsala University.

The last time the man's relatives heard from him was in connection with his move into a new apartment in Uppsala.

"In whose interest ...?"

The Press Freedom Organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has expressed concern that the disappearance may have to do with the man's occupation and pointed out how Pakistani journalists have been subjected to violence in other countries. Given the circumstances, he may well have been removed under duress, RSF's Asia Chief Daniel Bastard told The Guardian.

"When considering who may be interested in oppressing a dissimilar journalist, the first hypothesis leads to Pakistan's security services," he said.

Several press freedom organizations and Pakistan's largest journalist association have also urged Swedish authorities to look into the case more closely.

The family is very worried and frustrated by how slow the investigation has gone, the missing man's brother has told German Deutsche Welle.

Police confirmed to TT just over a week ago that they were working on this case, without going into any details or any criminal charges.