The ex-CEO and former chairman of a Swedish oil company commenced their trial in Sweden on Tuesday, facing allegations of complicity in war crimes committed in Sudan from 1999 to 2003.
According to prosecutors, the former Lundin Oil, which underwent multiple name changes and divested most of its business in 2022, allegedly requested Khartoum to secure access to a prospective oilfield in what is currently South Sudan.
Prosecutors assert that the company was aware that achieving this goal would necessitate the use of force to seize the area.
The indictment from 2021 contends that as a result of these actions, the executives were complicit in war crimes perpetrated by the Sudanese army and allied militia against civilians.
The former chairman of the company, Ian Lundin, who is facing trial alongside former CEO Alex Schneiter, reportedly refuted the accusations leveled against them, stating that they were false, as reported by the Swedish news agency TT.
“We look forward to defending ourselves in court,” he told reporters at the Stockholm district court, according to TT .
The case is expected to run until early 2026, according to the court’s schedule.
“What constitutes complicity in a criminal sense is that they made these demands despite understanding or, in any case being indifferent to, the military and the militia carrying out the war in a way that was forbidden according to international humanitarian law,” the prosecution agency said in 2021.
The prosecution is additionally seeking a court order to confiscate 2.4 billion Swedish crowns ($217 million) from the company, currently operating under the name Orron Energy (ORRON.ST). This amount has been increased from the initial claim of 1.4 billion made in 2021.
Sweden initiated the investigation in 2010 following a report by the Dutch non-governmental organization PAX regarding the company’s activities in Sudan.
Sudan was engaged in prolonged conflicts, including in South Sudan, which achieved independence in 2011, as well as other regions within the country. Former President Omar al-Bashir, who held power from 1989 to 2019, is sought by the International Criminal Court in The Hague for charges of genocide and other war crimes, allegations that he denies.