Jessica Stegrud, a prominent member of the Sweden Democrats, is under fire for filming an incident involving right-wing activist Nick Alinia. Political figures, including Social Democrats' Tobias Baudin and Green Party's Amanda Lind, demand her resignation, citing her association with Alinia and his extremist ties. Stegrud defends her actions, claiming she filmed for safety reasons.
Calls for Resignation: Jessica Stegrud Faces Backlash Over Filming Incident
Calls for Resignation: Jessica Stegrud Faces Backlash Over Filming Incident
Several politicians are reacting to Sweden Democrats' top member Jessica Stegrud filming activist Nick Alinia, known for his far-right associations, as he followed and confronted two young men. Social Democrats' party secretary Tobias Baudin now demands action from Jimmie Åkesson:
– He must, of course, immediately dismiss Jessica Stegrud.
Green Party spokesperson Amanda Lind also believes Jessica Stegrud should resign, she tells SVT News.
Nick Alinia engages in confronting and filming individuals he finds objectionable, sharing the content on his various channels. He is often seen with far-right content creator Christian Petersson.
One such confrontation, from July 28 this year, was filmed by Jessica Stegrud, a member of parliament for the Sweden Democrats. This was revealed by the newspaper Expo on Wednesday.
In the video, Nick Alinia is seen following two men at Stockholm Central Station.
– You cowardly little rat, Alinia says to one of the men in the film.
Reactions Against Stegrud
Now, the Sweden Democrats' top member faces sharp criticism from political opponents. Green Party spokesperson Amanda Lind thinks Stegrud should resign.
– For me, it is unthinkable that she should remain in the Swedish parliament, she tells SVT News.
Social Democrats' party secretary Tobias Baudin is highly critical of Stegrud's actions – and her association with Nick Alinia, given his connections to the far-right environment.
– It is extremely serious, he says.
Baudin now demands that Jimmie Åkesson remove Stegrud:
– He must, of course, immediately dismiss Jessica Stegrud from her duties.
Social Democrats' leader Magdalena Andersson believes that Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson should act.
– He promised last week that he would have order on his side in politics, and I now expect this to have consequences, the S-leader tells SVT.
Stegrud's Own Words
On Wednesday evening, Stegrud writes about the incident on X:
“Nick Alinia took out his phone and started filming the men who continued to shout insults while masking themselves and trying to flee the camera. The situation remained threatening, and as I did not want to stand alone, I followed and also started filming. Partly for my own safety, and partly to have evidence if something worse were to happen.”
Sweden Democrats' leader Jimmie Åkesson tells the newspaper Dagens ETC:
– I have not spent much time on it either, or what Expo writes. I do not give much for their assessments. I refer to the press department or possibly group leadership.