Report: Swedish paper won't face probe

Sweden's Chancellor of Justice Göran Lambertz has ruled that the Aftonbladet newspaper will not face a probe over an article accusing the IDF of organ trafficking, the TT news agency reported Saturday.

Two complaints were forwarded to the Swedish Department of Justice so that it launch an investigation into the matter. The Department was asked to determine whether the Aftonbladet item was a case of racial provocation and thereby violated Swedish law on freedom of expression.

The report said the Chancellor of Justice decided not to initiate preliminary investigation on this matter.

Goran Lambertz, who was unavailable Saturday, is a person appointed by the government and the only attorney in Sweden that can investigate a case of freedom of expression.

The Aftonbladet newspaper published an article in August, without presenting supporting evidence, accusing Israeli soldiers of stealing organs from the corpses of Palestinians.

The publication has provoked strong reactions in Israel, prompting several Israeli ministers to urge the Swedish government to distance itself from the article.

However, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt rejected the calls, citing freedom of expression.