The SD member Richard Jomshof is leaving his post as chairman of the Justice Committee. This is because he is being investigated for incitement to racial hatred after sharing two Islam-critical cartoons on X in May.
It's sad that he was elected chairman. We have long pointed out that he spreads hate and division, says Ardalan Shekarabi, the Social Democrats' justice policy spokesperson and vice chairman of the committee.
It's directly unsuitable to have a person with such a clear hate message as chairman of one of the most important committees in the Swedish Riksdag.
"Wise decision"
The Moderate Party's group leader Mattias Karlsson (M) writes to TT that he does not want to comment on the ongoing legal process, but that it's good that Jomshof is temporarily stepping down.
"I think it's a wise decision that Richard Jomshof chooses to leave the chairmanship of the Justice Committee while this process is ongoing – so that the high reform tempo can continue."
"Damaged society"
A heavy responsibility rests on Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) for Jomshof being elected, according to Shekarabi. The Social Democrats demand that the government parties do not let Jomshof return to the post.
The Prime Minister should be the Prime Minister of the whole people.
When his party supports a person with clearly extremist views, in this post, then there is no doubt that the community in our society is damaged and that the government parties do not stand up against hate and incitement, says Shekarabi.
At the same time, several other Sweden Democrats in the Riksdag, Mattias Karlsson and Josef Fransson, have shared Jomshof's shares.
The Liberals' party secretary Jakob Olofsgård writes in a comment to TT:
"What I can say is that I think it's reasonable that Richard Jomshof chooses to leave the chairmanship of the Justice Committee while this process is ongoing."
The Christian Democrats' group leader Camilla Brodin says the same thing and adds that the cooperation with SD is not affected by Jomshof's departure.
