Student Convicted of Terror Plot Can Continue Chemistry Studies, Swedish Court Rules

A Swedish administrative court has ruled that the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm cannot expel a 24-year-old student who was previously sentenced to eight years in prison for planning a terrorist attack. The student had been convicted in Luxembourg for plotting a cyanide gas attack targeting the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest, which was ultimately canceled due to the pandemic.

The student, who was 18 at the time of his arrest in 2020 following a tip from foreign intelligence, was found to have an elaborate plan titled "Fun time for Eurovision 2020." During a search of his home, police discovered corrosive acid and explosives in a makeshift chemistry lab in the garage. His computer also contained detailed plans for other attacks, including a letter bomb intended for a Swedish production company.

Previously, the student had also been convicted for burning mink farms in 2019 as part of an eco-fascist group and was associated with the neo-Nazi organization The Base. The Luxembourg court initially sentenced him to eight years, with six years suspended, conditional on completing a de-radicalization program within five years. He later told Swedish broadcaster SVT that he had completely renounced his former extremist ideology.

Despite KTH's decision to expel him, Sweden's higher education appeals board rejected the expulsion. KTH appealed this decision to the administrative court, which ultimately overturned the expulsion. The court reasoned that the student no longer posed a threat to people or businesses while pursuing his studies in chemistry.