Estonian prison chief: Ending Sweden's prisoner rental deal 'just requires political will'
The head of Estonia's Prison Service says the Tartu Prison rental agreement with Sweden could be terminated relatively easily, as the first Swedish inmates are set to arrive within days.
Rait Kuuse, head of the Estonian Prison Service, has said the agreement allowing Sweden to house prisoners at Tartu Prison could be ended without much difficulty if the political will existed. He noted that the deal includes no sanctions or penalty clauses for termination.
According to Kuuse, either country can cancel the agreement at any time without extra conditions, provided 12 months' notice is given through diplomatic channels. Once notice is exchanged, both sides would work to return all prisoners to Sweden within that year, though the timeline could be shortened in an emergency.
Both the Isamaa party and the Center Party have promised to cancel the arrangement if they win power. Center Party Secretary General and Tartu branch leader Anneli Ott said the deal should still be ended even if no serious problems appear by spring, arguing that the longer the scheme runs, the greater the risk that anticipated issues will surface and worsen.
Isamaa politician Tõnis Lukas echoed this, saying his party's chairman has already told the Swedish prime minister that the agreement could bring consequences for Estonia that were not fully considered, and that Isamaa would end the deal if it enters the next government.
The first Swedish prisoners are expected to arrive at Tartu Prison this week or next, mainly via Tartu Airport, though the exact date is being withheld for security reasons. Authorities plan to confirm the transfer publicly only after the prisoners are already secured inside the prison. Kuuse said preventing any chance of escape during transport is the top priority, especially given existing public tension around the arrangement, so the operation is being handled with maximum security precautions.
Under the deal, around 600 Swedish prisoners are expected to be moved to Tartu over the course of a year. Sweden is covering all costs, paying Estonia between €31 million and €61 million annually depending on how many prisoners are held.
