[By Nic Lindh on Wednesday, 24 March 2004]
As expected, Anna Lindh’s assassin was sentenced to life in prison today. This is the most serious penalty in the Swedish judicial system, and in effect means he will be released in about 15-20 years.
Mijailo Mijailovic’s attorney may appeal the sentencing, but if so, that appeal stands very little chance of accomplishing anything.
So it seems that this tragic part of Swedish history is over, except for the children and husband of Anna Lindh, who will have to go on without her, and for the damage done to the openness of the Swedish system, where high-ranking politicians used routinely to go out in public without body guards. That innocence is now most likely dead.