A Swedish appeals court has upheld a life sentence for a 29-year-old man convicted of involvement in the murder of a 15-year-old boy at a sushi restaurant in Skogås in January 2023. The Hovrätten confirmed the lower court's ruling that found the man, who used the alias "Ghost," guilty of accessory to murder for his role as an organizer behind the shooting. The court maintained that the defendant had connections to the Foxtrot criminal network.

The fatal shooting occurred on January 28, 2023, when the teenage victim was killed by a shooter of similar age at the restaurant. Previous court proceedings had already resulted in convictions for the shooter and other participants in the murder. The appeals court largely agreed with the district court's assessment of the evidence, particularly regarding the interpretation of chat messages and voice recordings that formed crucial parts of the prosecution's case.

In addition to the murder conviction, the appeals court upheld the man's convictions for attempted murder in January 2022 and preparation for murder in December 2022, along with other criminal offenses. The court noted that the defendant is currently serving an 18-year prison sentence for attempted murder and serious drug offenses committed between 2020 and 2021, which will be replaced by the life imprisonment term.

The court also confirmed the convictions of two other men, aged 20 and 22, for incitement to murder in connection with the same case. The Hovrätten's decision maintains the district court's ruling on compensation to the 15-year-old victim's relatives, bringing finality to the legal proceedings surrounding the high-profile gang-related murder.

Eskilstuna Municipality has filed an appeal against the Swedish Chemicals Agency's decision to grant Senior Material a permit to use methylene chloride in its production of separator film for electric vehicle batteries. The municipal board reached this decision on October 2nd, with the community building committee scheduled to address the matter during its meeting on October 3rd. The appeal represents a significant challenge to the regulatory approval process for industrial chemical use in Sweden.

The controversy centers on methylene chloride, also known as dichloromethane (DCM), a chlorinated solvent that has been nationally prohibited in Sweden since 1996 due to health risks for workers handling the substance. The chemical is classified as carcinogenic and capable of causing genetic changes, while also being harmful to aquatic organisms. Senior Material received an exemption from this ban for its planned production operations, marking a notable exception to Sweden's long-standing restrictions on the substance.

Public concern over the potential environmental impact has manifested in substantial community opposition. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside Senior Material's factory in the Svista industrial area on October 1st, expressing worries about future emissions of the chemical. The protest movement has gained momentum through social media campaigns and a petition that has collected over 130,000 signatures demanding the cessation of methylene chloride emissions.

Municipal officials cite multiple grounds for their appeal, particularly emphasizing the volume of methylene chloride approved—1,280 tons over a two-year period—which they describe as unreasonable given Sweden's phase-out objectives for the substance. Niklas Edmark, business director for Eskilstuna Municipality, stated that the approved quantity significantly exceeds what has been permitted in Sweden in recent years and conflicts with national sustainability goals. The municipality argues that the Chemicals Agency should have applied the precautionary principle more rigorously and expanded its assessment criteria given the scale of proposed use.