KTH appeals decision on student convicted of terrorism

“In November 2025, the student was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment for several serious offences linked to terrorism, including preparation to commit terrorist acts. He has also previously been convicted of arson. The sentence prompted KTH to request that the student be expelled from his course, citing the risk that he might cause harm to people or property. KTH states that students and staff have expressed concern and fear for their safety. It adds that the course is related to the crimes for which the student was convicted and that continuing his studies could provide him with increased knowledge of the subject. In February, the Higher Education Expulsions Board (HAN) rejected KTH’s request. The Board notes that the concerns described should not be downplayed and that the student has previously been found guilty of serious criminal offences, but that this is not sufficient to meet the legal requirement of a substantial danger that the student may cause harm to people or property during his studies. The Board took into consideration the fact that the offences were committed several years ago. The decision was not unanimous; two members were of the opinion that the student should be expelled. The student himself says that he has left the groups and ideologies he was part of at the time of the offences and that he now distances himself from his actions and regrets them. “Unusual case” KTH has appealed the decision to the Administrative Court and does not wish to comment on the case while the proceedings are ongoing. Anders Ahlgren, a general counsel who was the chair of HAN at the time of the decision, emphasises that it is rare for the board to have to decide whether students who have committed crimes should be expelled, which makes the case unusual.“In this case, the offences the student was convicted of include preparation to commit a terrorist offence. It was therefore not difficult to conclude that this was a question of an exceptionally serious crime. The difficult part was assessing whether there was a significant risk of harm, given the long time that had passed since the criminal acts were committed. The board members reached different conclusions regarding that point,” he notes. He welcomes the fact that the decision is now set to be tried in a court of law. “Guidance is needed on application of the law in situations like this.” Lars Geschwind Executive Director of SULF Common for teachers to experience threats and pressure Lars Geschwind, Executive Director of SULF, believes that the regulations governing the expulsion of students work well in general, but that there may be challenges that mean the outcomes have a negative impact on teachers and other students.“It is quite unusual for students to actually be expelled,” he says, “and the regulatory framework seems to work for the most part. But the question of what counts as harm is not entirely straightforward.” He points out that many university teachers have a work environment where they are exposed to threats, pressure and uncomfortable situations. “Feeling constant anxiety and stress at work is in itself a form of harm,” he continues. “Our surveys show that many of our members have experienced some form of negative influence.” Many employees choose not to report incidents, either because they do not know where to turn or because they doubt that it would lead to anything being done. “Some see it almost as an occupational hazard, that you have to accept it as part of the job. That is problematic.” Geschwind would like to see a more systematic approach to health and safety, as well as clearer accountability on the part of higher education institutions when it comes to dealing with specific incidents and building a safe culture. “It is partly about having procedures that work when something happens, and partly about countering the normalisation of threats and undue influence. The employer has a great deal of responsibility in this, but it is also a cultural issue for the entire academic community.” At the same time, he emphasises that the concerns staff and students may feel in individual cases must be taken seriously, even if they do not always meet the legal threshold for expulsion. “That feeling cannot simply be dismissed. It needs to be listened to and addressed.” New legislation on the way Meanwhile, the government has proposed changes that would expand the grounds for expelling students, including for particularly reprehensible behaviour that disrupts the education programme and affects other students. The proposal also includes expanded powers for background checks within the education sector. The new rules are proposed to come into force on 1 July 2026. Expulsion of students During the period 2021–2025, the Higher Education Expulsions Board (HAN) considered 17 cases of expulsion. In twelve cases, the committee decided to expel the student. One of these decisions was later overturned by a court, meaning that eleven students have actually been expelled. One case is currently before the court but is included in these statistics. Six applications were rejected, one of which concerned a vocational higher education programme. Source: The Higher Education Expulsions Board Inlägget KTH appeals decision on student convicted of terrorism dök först upp på Universitetsläraren .

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