Swedish prosecutors on Thursday demanded lengthy prison sentences for two former oil executives accused of complicity in war crimes during Sudan’s brutal civil conflict.
Prosecutors told Stockholm district court that business decisions linked to oil exploration allegedly triggered military violence that devastated civilian communities between 1999 and 2003.
Swede Ian Lundin and Swiss national Alex Schneiter deny wrongdoing, insisting their company maintained no operational relationship with Sudan’s government as prosecutors claim.
Lundin served as chief executive of Lundin Oil from 1998 to 2002, while Schneiter held a senior executive role during the company’s expansion.
The prosecution requested a 10-year prison term for Lundin and six years for Schneiter, citing the severity and duration of alleged crimes.
Prosecutor Henrik Attorps argued the defendants knowingly pursued profit while civilians paid the price, their lives shattered amid escalating military operations.
According to prosecutors, Lundin Oil asked Sudan’s government to assign military forces to secure an exploration site known as Block 5A.
They allege the Sudanese army and allied militias launched offensives to clear the region, enabling oil exploration by forcibly seizing contested territory.
The campaign allegedly included aerial bombardments, helicopter attacks on civilians, abductions, village looting, and widespread destruction of homes and crops.
Prosecutors say the executives understood that military control would require force, making them complicit in abuses carried out during security operations.
Defence lawyers reject these claims, arguing the company neither directed military action nor anticipated violence linked to government security arrangements.
The trial began in September 2023 after a decade-long investigation producing more than 80,000 pages of evidence examining corporate conduct during wartime.
Prosecutors also urged the court to detain both men pending judgment, warning they present a potential flight risk before the verdict.
The closely watched case is expected to conclude in May, though judges have not announced when a final ruling will be delivered.
