Author Håkan Nesser meets early release criteria with an ankle monitor by a wide margin, according to his lawyer. He remains in prison after prison authorities deemed his planned occupation of writing inappropriate. Lawyer Conny Cedermark calls the handling incorrect and legally uncertain.
Håkan Nesser was promised by Kriminalvården to leave prison last Friday to serve the rest of his sentence at home on Gotland with an ankle monitor. Probation services on Gotland had visited the home and approved it, with a call booked for April 20, son Johannes Nesser told TT.
In a phone call with probation, Nesser was told his home occupation would be 'inappropriate'. Lawyer Conny Cedermark says the concern is to avoid relapse risk, but writing can hardly be seen as inappropriate.
Kriminalvården states the case is under investigation with no public documents available. Cedermark has received no written reasoning and calls the handling regrettable and legally uncertain. In prison, Nesser has only been able to write by hand, without computer or internet.
Nesser was sentenced to 1.5 years for three counts of gross tax evasion last July. He will have served two-thirds by the end of July and could then be released without monitor if he has not misbehaved, per his son. Kriminalvården does not comment on individual cases.