Swedish minister reveals teenage son linked to extremist groups

Sweden's migration minister says he will not resign after it was revealed his teenage son has links to white supremacist groups.

Johan Forssell on Thursday confirmed that the person named by the anti-racism watchdog Expo recently as being a "close relative" of an unnamed minister and "active in the far right" was his 16-year-old son.

Forssell said he had not known about his son's activities until he was contacted by the country's security service a few weeks ago and that he had followed all proper protocol.

"Perhaps many parents can relate to not having a complete picture of what their children are doing on social media," he told Swedish broadcaster TV4.

Forssell's comments come after Expo last week said that the close relative of a government minister had "collaborated" with a member of the neo-Nazi Nordic Resistance Movement (NMR) group.

Expo also said that the relative had been involved with two other extremist groups - allegedly recruiting members to one of them.

Forssell - who has been openly critical of political extremism and an advocate of greater parental responsibility when it comes to youth involved in crime - says he did not publicly address the allegations when he found out about them out of his duty to his child.

"This has not been about protecting me as a politician, but about protecting a minor," he said.

Forssell also took to social media to, as he put it, explain the situation in his own words.

He said he and his wife had had "long and important conversations" with their son, who has now "cut off contact and is deeply remorseful".

"It is a closed chapter," he added, going on to explain that Sweden's security service, known as Sapo, had told him that his son's activities had mainly taken place on social media and that he was not being investigated for a crime.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson says he "continues to have confidence" in his minister.

"I think that Johan Forssell has acted as a responsible parent should when you learn that your child is doing wrong and is in bad company," Kristersson wrote on social media.

However, Forssell and the wider Swedish centre-right minority government are facing accusations of double standards and of turning a blind eye when it comes to countering extremism.

The opposition Left Party said on Wednesday that it would summon the minister before a parliamentary committee once lawmakers return from the summer break.

Kristersson's government has been in power since 2022 and has faced a backlash for working with the Social Democrats (SD) - a radical anti-immigration party that was founded by Nazi sympathisers.