The protection of sources under Swedish law made the site Wikileaks to route their traffic through servers in Stockholm. But the legal protection only applies to sites with publication license – something Wikileaks is lacking.
The website Wikileaks has lately been in the news because of its publication of Afghan War logs, one of the largest and most controversial intelligence leaks to date. The organisation behind the website publishes leaked documents while preserving the anonymity of sources.
Wikileaks claims that Swedish law protects their sources. But this is a promise they can not make, according to experts, this since Wikileaks has no publication license in Sweden.
The Swedish protection of sources is one of the strongest in the world. The constitution protects people who share information to the media from being sought by the authorities.
But having the server placed in Sweden is not equal to having it covered by the Swedish legal protection of sources.
“It seems to me too easy to claim that Wikileaks sources would be protected - in any case - here in Sweden," says Håkan Rustand, deputy Chancellor of Justice, to daily Sydsvenska Dagbladet.
Anders R Olsson is a writer, journalist, and expert on freedom of expression issues. He finds it strange that Wikileaks did not seem to be clear about the rules. He also points out that the prohibition of seeking sources is not absolute, even if the media is constitutionally protected.
“Is it about top secret data - things that really are of great importance for the Armed Forces - the police and prosecutors shall try to find the leak and prosecute the person," he says.
Now, Wikileaks promises to review their claim of Swedish legal protection to their 'sources, according to an email to Swedish public radio SR.
"We'll let the lawyers look at it again ..." it says in the commentary from Wikileaks. Link
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