Reed NewsReed News

50 Climate Activists Prosecuted for Peat Extraction Protests in Grimsås

Crime & justiceCrime
Key Points
  • Around 50 climate activists face prosecution for trespassing during protests at a peat extraction site in Grimsås moss last summer.
  • The activists deny any crime, citing the right of public access and necessity due to the climate crisis.
  • A previous conviction of 17 people for similar actions at the site is under appeal and will be reviewed in a higher court.

According to SVT Nyheter, the activists are being prosecuted for unlawful trespass after several climate actions at Grimsås moss in the summer of 2025. The protests were directed against the company Neova's peat extraction at the site and were organized by the group Restore Wetlands. The prosecutions cover eleven different occasions between July 22 and August 7 last year.

During the actions, activists filled in ditches and prevented machines from working. Police documented the events with body cameras, and the material is now being used as evidence. The prosecutor has chosen the milder charge of unlawful trespass after the district court in Borås previously did not accept a prosecution for gross unlawful trespass in a similar case.

One person is also being prosecuted for arbitrary conduct. The accused admit to the course of events but deny any crime, citing the right of public access and the right of necessity with reference to the climate crisis. The specific penalties or sentences the activists might face if convicted have not been disclosed.

In the summer of 2024, 17 people were convicted for similar actions at the same site. That conviction has been appealed—including by the prosecutor themselves—and is to be tried in the court of appeal. The current status or timeline for the court proceedings for the 50 activists remains unclear.

Tags
Location
Corroborated
SVT Nyheter
1 publications · 1 official
View transparency reportReport inaccuracy
50 Climate Activists Prosecuted for Peat Extraction Protests in Grimsås | Reed News