Another catalyst for some wonderful conspiracy theories.
Twenty Years ago to the day, on
February 27, 1986 the Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was assassinated by a gunman in the center of Stockholm. His murder came as an immense trauma to a stable and relatively well functioning democratic state, and as the assassin has never been identified, the investigation in Palme's death is still ongoing.
Olof Palme served as social-democratic Prime Minister of Sweden in two periods between 1969-1976 and 1982- 1986, during the time when Sweden was regarded as the model of a socially responsible welfare state that had managed to overcome the worst excesses of an unrestricted capitalist society, by nationalising some of its heavy industry, by imposing high taxation and by providing a social safety net for its citizens that was the envy of Europe. In some ways the Sweden of the 70s was regarded as the possible alternative to both the capitalist and the Communist state, the third way that included the positive whilst avoiding the negative elements of both systems.
Palme was instrumental in shaping Swedish society in those decades, and as its figurehead became well-known and highly respected in global politics. Palme continued to pursue Sweden's neutrality, and thus steering between the two Cold War blocks collected enemies on both sides. His outspoken criticism of the US' war in Vietnam, of the Apartheid regime in South-Africa, his support for various liberation movements, for the ANC, Castro's Cuba and the Palestinians didn't win him any friends in the West, and the Soviet Union wasn't too enchanted with his contempt of its human rights policy either.
Nevertheless, his murder on February 28, 1986 in the heart of the Swedish capital, shocked the country and the World public equally and the longer the Swedish police seemed incapable to produce a suspect, the more trumours about the possible motives for his assassination went into circulation.
It took more than a year until the first arrest was made, a petty criminal named Christer Petterson who first was found guilty but on appeal acquitted of the murder through lack of evidence. The shambolic conduct of the trial did nothing to silence to various conspiracy theories that had appeared and had named not a few apparent suspects, from Neo-Nazi activists that had wanted him dead for Palme's alleged intention to join Sweden into the Soviet block, via the Kurdish separatist party PKK, to the South-African secret service that was supposed to have killed him for his logistic support of Mandela's ANC, not to mention even more obscure allegations that involved the CIA and virtually any other clandestine organisation under the sun.
Twenty after his death, Palme's death is still unsolved, the case is still open and 5 Million Euro are offered as reward for finding the culprit.
Olof Palme (d. 28/02/1986)
What else happened on this day?
1900 After a 119-day siege by the Boers, the British defenders of Ladysmith, were relieved.
1997 Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky had their second encounter, after a break of 11 months.
Complete list of events:
Wikipedia
Edited by Komnenos