Swedish Nazi denies "Arbeit Macht Frei" theft
A former Swedish neo-Nazi leader arrested over the theft of the "Arbeit Macht Frei" sign from the former Auschwitz death camp denies the charges against him, his lawyer said Friday.
RELATED NEWS:
• Neo-Nazi leader arrested in Auschwitz theft case
"His opinion is rather that he contributed to solving the issue. He has helped both Swedish and Polish police and Interpol with the investigation," Björn Sandin told the TT news agency.
Anders Högström, 34, was arrested in Stockholm on Thursday for "aggravated theft and damage, as well as illegal trade of a cultural good," court documents filed by the prosecutor on Friday showed.
"He's had it hanging over him for a while now, that he was going to be arrested, so he is prepared. He feels uncomfortable about being judged in a Polish court rather than in a Swedish one," Sandin said.
Högström is to appear in court in Stockholm at 1500 GMT. Sandin was unavailable for direct comment.
Högström has told Swedish media he was to act as an intermediary to pick up the sign and sell it to a buyer, but in the end he wound up informing Polish police about the people behind the plot.
He founded the National Socialist Front, a Swedish neo-Nazi movement, in 1994 and headed the party for five years before quitting. The party was dissolved in 2008.
Last Updated (Friday, 12 February 2010 15:38)
