The former Swedish Minister of Justice, Thomas Bodström, urges to boycott the Olympic Games.
Thomas Bodström:
"I think it would send a clear message if Sweden, that is known for its pro human rights work, does this."
"We don't have to participate in a parade besides [the competition], that we know is a huge propaganda on behalf of a regime that violates the human rights every day."
"A regime that violates the human rights every day", does this sentence raise memories from the Tito Beltran trial recently? At that trial Bodström, the former Minister of Justice, and now the chairman of the Committee of Justice [of the Swedish parliament], also represented the crime victim. He did so along with the prosecutor. This dual role will obviously be considered a violation of the article 6 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
According to article 6 of the convention "everyone is entitled to a fair and public hearing within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial tribunal established by law, in the determination of his civil rights and obligations or of any criminal charge against him". The trial cannot be considered fair and impartial if the chairman of the Committee of Justice also represents the victim, and in addition to that at the public trial established the guilt of the defendant, long before the sentence is passed. According to article 6 of the convention, this to means a violation of the human rights convention, since the rule says that "everyone charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law." Bodström, who also holds a master of laws degree, presumed Tito Beltran’s guilt before the sentence was passed, and therefore violated the human rights himself. What a hypocrite!
Thomas Bodström ought to think both once and twice before making statements about the kind of violation that he himself so obviously has committed. Breaking the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms means breaking human rights. This phrasemaker shows the real Swedish official attitude to the human rights. But in Sweden this violation hits half the population, the male half.
Thanks to Millan.
Sydsvenskan:
Bodström kräver OS-bojkott (in Swedish)
Sveriges Television:
Bodström: "Bojkotta OS-invigningen" (in Swedish)