Maykil Yokhanna, serving a life sentence for the murder of 12-year-old Adriana, is fighting to have his case reopened. Sweden systematically prevents inmates from exercising their basic rights to a fair trial and access to legal assistance, as demonstrated by Yokhanna's case. "I have never encountered a situation where I was not allowed to speak to a client about reopening their case," says his lawyer Björn Hurtig.

Blocking Contact with Lawyer

On May 25, Yokhanna requested a consultation with his lawyer Björn Hurtig regarding reopening his case. Kriminalvården denied this request, citing insufficient grounds for such contact, as there was no ongoing case or case number at the time.

Yokhanna, who is serving his sentence at Kumla prison, claims that the prison assessed that he could handle contact with his lawyer via mail. The same assessment was made by Kriminalvården's headquarters following his appeal against the decision.

New Circumstances

Another of Yokhanna's lawyers, Hampus Wikerstål, also unsuccessfully attempted to contact him in prison. "According to my lawyer, new circumstances have come to light that could justify reopening the case," writes Yokhanna in his complaint to the Parliamentary Ombudsman.

Restricted Communication

Lawyer Björn Hurtig is surprised that he was not allowed to contact his client. "I think they have very little understanding of how communication between a lawyer and a client works if they believe that you can begin working on a request to reopen a case through letters," says Hurtig. He adds that it is essential for the client to be able to speak with the lawyer to properly explain their case and form an opinion.

Brutal Violation of Basic Rights

Through these actions, Sweden is brutally violating the basic human rights of inmates to a fair trial and access to legal assistance. This case is not unique and represents a broader pattern of systematic human rights violations against detainees in Sweden.

The newspaper Aftonbladet contacted the Swedish Prison and Probation Service, which stated that it could not comment on ongoing cases before the Parliamentary Ombudsman.

The case of Maykil Yokhanna highlights deeper systemic issues and the need for extensive reforms to ensure justice and the protection of basic rights for all inmates in Sweden.