The Sweden Democrats are demanding that Sida's director general Jakob Granit be called to the foreign affairs committee following reports of Swedish aid going to an organization linked to Hamas. The party describes the suspicion as a national scandal. Aid Minister Benjamin Dousa previously revealed that 55 million kronor were paid out via Sida.
The Sweden Democrats (SD) have called Sida's director general Jakob Granit to the foreign affairs committee to account for reports that Swedish aid money has ended up with the Palestinian organization ICHR, which has links to the terror-designated Hamas and Islamic Jihad. According to Aid Minister Benjamin Dousa (M), a total of 55 million kronor were paid out through Sida between 2011 and 2025. Dousa stated this to Aftonbladet earlier in October.
SD top Mattias Karlsson, who in September took over as temporary chairman of the foreign affairs committee, calls the suspicion a 'national scandal' in a debate article in Expressen. 'Either Sida has not had control or has actively turned a blind eye to the dangers. In both cases it is unacceptable,' he writes. Karlsson demands full transparency and for Granit to explain what happened, which routines failed, and how the situation arose despite warnings.
Jakob Granit has previously said he takes the Hamas connection seriously and that Sida is investigating the information together with other countries that contributed to ICHR. Karlsson repeats SD's demand for an independent review of the entire Swedish aid system to address what he calls a 'system error' where money is paid out without control.
ICHR has rejected the allegations and called them 'absurd'.