[Sweden]: Call to Australia

[Connor]

Government of Sweden
Löfven Administration

Security Classification: TOP SECRET
Document Classification and Security Act 1995​

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A telephone call is made to the Attorney-General for Australia by Swedish Attorney General Morgan Johansson.
This telephone call is made in line with the Swedish Document Classification and Security Act 1995, which also covers telephonic communication, causing a 'TOP SECRET' encryption level to be appended.

Owen

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Crown Copyright © Kingdom of Sweden
All information is subject to the Swedish Document Classification and Security Act 1995​

 

[Owen]

Gareth Evans would pick up on a secure and encrypted line.

"Ringa-ding-ding you're talking to the King."

Connor

 

[Connor]

Baffled, yet oddly amused the Attorney General continues in her usual professional tone with a somewhat awkward comeback.

"Must be the wrong number. I am Attorney General Morgan Johansson calling from Stockholm, I need to discuss the persons in custody whom I believe are being held in an Australian Detention Centre, following their entitling as prisoner-of-war after their imprisonment in Argentina. Am I in the right place?"​

 

[Owen]

"Gareth Evans speaking."

Connor

 

[Connor]

Man of few words, she thought, this will be most enthralling.

"Gareth. I have received your report and needless to say now the Swedish nationals are firmly within Australian borders and housed in your sovereign territory, they are at your mercy, so to speak, and subject to the Australian judicial system. Needless to say these civilians are eager to get home and their families are eager to have them back within Swedish territory... so the ball is in your court really, tell me the process."

Owen

 

[Owen]

“Uhhh not sure, the Argentines didn’t really sign a formal agreement or give any sort of indication to us what they would like to happen so I guess... ring them?”

Connor

 

[Connor]

"They aren't Argentina's prisoners anymore, they're yours."

Owen

 

[Owen]

“As a sign of goodwill we’re willing to adhere to their requests to keep them as prisoners until such time as an agreement is made.”

Connor

 

[Connor]

"A sign of goodwill... with human lives... when will they be attending an Australian Court?"

Owen

 

[Owen]

“I’m not sure I haven’t been made aware of any legal action being taken against their detention...”

Connor

 

[Connor]

"What...? Legal action?"

Morgan pauses, contemplating whether or not this Australian government official is either mentally unstable and in a moment of crisis or is suffering from the side effects of narcotics. She takes a sip of water to gather herself and restructure the conversation before she too ends up in this weird world of psychosis.

"You currently have forty four Swedish nationals, officially prisoners of war, held within Australian custody... my understanding of legal detention in the modern world is that it's very existence is to allow for a full and fair trial. Are you indicating to me that Australia has no intention of trying these nationals for any form of crime?"

Owen

 

[Owen]

"These nationals are detained under the Migration Act of 1948, we're not required to trial them because frankly they haven't committed a crime. They are being detained as illegal aliens under the Migration Act which gives us the power to detain them as the Minister for Immigration pleases."

Connor

 

[Connor]

"I'm sorry? You willingly accepted the extradition of these Swedish nationals into your country, only then to detain them on the basis they're undocumented? How does that make any logical sense?"

The Attorney General because increasingly concerned by the Australians now having admitted to unlawful detention, having agreed to accept the Swedish nationals into the country and now detaining them for... entering unlawfully. She was clear and concise in her next sentence and made it abundantly clear what needed to happen.

"I need these nationals returning to Sweden, if they're not being tried for a crime then there is no lawful reason for you to continue their detention. I can arrange for a chartered flight to collect them if necessary."

Owen

 

[Owen]

"I'm sorry but that will violate the agreement we made with the Argentinians."

Connor

 

[Connor]

"No, you seem to misunderstand. Fuck your agreement with the Argentinians. You are violating not only Australian law, but international law."

Owen

 

[Owen]

The Attorney-General would see the explosion of the United States Capitol Building on the TV.

"I'm sure you've just seen what's happened in Washington. I must go now, we're convening an emergency National Security Committee meeting. Ciao."

He would hang up.

Connor

 

[Connor]

Following the rudeness of the Attorney General, a letter is sent.

Government of Sweden
Löfven Administration

Security Classification: TOP SECRET
Document Classification and Security Act 1995​

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Dear Gareth Evans,

I am writing to you as a formal request for the release of Swedish nationals being held within an Australian Immigration Detention Centre under the Migration Act of 1948.

As I am sure you are aware your national legislation prevents the entrance of foreign nationals unlawfully within Australia without visa or travel documentation, unless they have been granted entry to the country by the relevant authority. Under these circumstances the Kingdom of Sweden agreed to permit the extradition of prisoners-of-war to Australian Immigration Detention Centre's to permit their legal repatriation to Sweden as soon as reasonably practicable. It has since come to my attention that these nationals are no longer suspected of having committing a crime and thus, in line with Australian law on the lawful detention and custody of individuals (Police Powers and Responsibilities); not to mention the relevant articles within the International Declaration of Human Rights of which Australia is a signatory state. Thus you no longer have legal basis for the imprisonment of Swedish nationals and I must warn you that failure to repatriate them will result in formal legal action in the international courts.

From this correspondence we will expect a reasonably informative response within 48 hours, failure to do so will result in the formal process beginning with the International Court of Justice during which we will seek monetary compensation for the unmentionable trauma to the families of the current detainees, legal costs, and reasonable compensation pursuant to the Statute of the Court.

Regards,
Morgan Johansson
Attorney General
Department of Justice

Owen

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Crown Copyright © Kingdom of Sweden
All information is subject to the Swedish Document Classification and Security Act 1995​