Équipe Media and Saharawi Voice have issued a statement condemning the prosecution of Swedish filmmaker Alex Veitch, who is facing unjust charges by Swedish authorities for filming outside a police station in Solna. Veitch, a member of the Råfilm collective, is being prosecuted under a controversial law that prohibits filming near protected sites, potentially facing up to one year in prison.
Veitch has worked with Équipe Media on 3 Stolen Cameras, which documents human rights abuses in Western Sahara, and with Saharawi Voice on HAIYU, a film about Saharawi singer Mariem Hassan. The organizations denounced his prosecution as a violation of press freedom, drawing parallels with the 2018 targeting of Saharawi journalist Nezha El Khalidi by Moroccan forces.
Read the full press release
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
**Équipe Media and Saharawi Voice Condemn Prosecution of Filmmaker Alex Veitch in Sweden**
September 7, 2024 – Équipe Media and Saharawi Voice strongly condemn the prosecution of our colleague, Alex Veitch, an activist and member of Råfilm, the Swedish collective of filmmakers. Alex is being unjustly prosecuted by Swedish authorities for filming outside a police station in Solna, an action that we view as a clear violation of his fundamental rights to freedom of expression and press freedom.
Alex Veitch, known for his impactful work on social justice issues, was filming for a documentary on trade union organizing and migrant workers’ rights when he captured footage outside the police station. The prosecution comes under a controversial 2023 law that prohibits filming of certain protected sites, including police stations, marking a significant restriction on journalistic and artistic freedoms in Sweden. Despite the footage being deleted on-site, authorities have decided to press charges, and Alex now faces a trial and possible imprisonment of up to one year.
Our collaboration with Råfilm has been vital in exposing the severe human rights abuses committed by the Moroccan occupation in Western Sahara and highlighting the struggles of the Saharawi people. Together, we have produced critically acclaimed documentaries such as “3 Stolen Cameras,” which reveals the Moroccan occupation’s repression of the Saharawi people, and “HAIYU,” which tells the story of prominent Saharawi singer Mariem Hassan and the struggle for a free Western Sahara.
It is deeply concerning that Sweden, a country that upholds democratic values and human rights, would take such repressive actions against a filmmaker documenting important social issues. This situation echoes the experience of our colleague Nezha El Khalidi, a Saharawi journalist who faced similar legal threats in 2018 when she was targeted by Moroccan occupation forces for documenting the struggles of the Saharawi people.
We call on Swedish authorities to immediately drop all charges against Alex Veitch. We urge the international community to stand in solidarity with journalists, activists, and human rights defenders who are targeted for their work in exposing injustices. Filmmaking and journalism are not crimes—they are essential practices that hold power to account and shine a light on critical issues that affect societies worldwide.
