Stig Bergling
Encyclopedia
Stig Svante Eugen Bergling, later Sandberg and Sydholt (born March 1, 1937 in Stockholm
, Sweden
) is a former police officer who spied for the Soviet Union
.
, the Swedish Security Service, and worked in the surveillance department. Bergling was also an officer in the military reserves and for a short period he was working at the Defence Staff where he stole secret documents about Swedish military installations which he sold to the GRU
, the military intelligence of the Soviet Union.
During a UN mission in Lebanon
in 1973, he sold the documents to the GRU
. When he came back home, he continued his espionage by delivering information about SÄPO's operations in Sweden. SÄPO soon discovered there was a leak and after some time the suspicions pointed towards Bergling, even if there was no proof. He once again applied for service in the UN but was arrested in Israel
on March 20, 1979 for spying for the Soviet Union.
On December 7, 1979 he was convicted in Sweden and sentenced to life in prison for treason
.
, Sweden, he and his wife, Elisabeth, managed to escape. From Rinkeby
where Elisabeth lived, via Åland they got to Helsinki
, Finland
where Bergling contacted the Soviet Embassy and managed to get help from his old "employer" to live in the Soviet Union. Under the alias of Ivar and Elisabeth Straus, they lived for a while in Moscow
, and later in Hungary
. However, in autumn of 1990 as Soviet Union was collapsing
they were moved to Lebanon. In August 1994, the couple returned to Sweden voluntarily. Bergling spent three years in prison until his release in July 1997.
In the summer of 2006 Bergling joined the Swedish Left Party, but he left the party in September later that same year.
Since the end of the 1990s, Bergling has suffered from Parkinson's disease
.
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
) is a former police officer who spied for the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
Espionage and conviction
Bergling was employed at SÄPOSwedish Security Service
The Swedish Security Service , former name Rikspolisstyrelsens säkerhetsavdelning , is the security service of Sweden, belonging to the Swedish National Police Board....
, the Swedish Security Service, and worked in the surveillance department. Bergling was also an officer in the military reserves and for a short period he was working at the Defence Staff where he stole secret documents about Swedish military installations which he sold to the GRU
GRU
GRU or Glavnoye Razvedyvatel'noye Upravleniye is the foreign military intelligence directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation...
, the military intelligence of the Soviet Union.
During a UN mission in Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
in 1973, he sold the documents to the GRU
GRU
GRU or Glavnoye Razvedyvatel'noye Upravleniye is the foreign military intelligence directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation...
. When he came back home, he continued his espionage by delivering information about SÄPO's operations in Sweden. SÄPO soon discovered there was a leak and after some time the suspicions pointed towards Bergling, even if there was no proof. He once again applied for service in the UN but was arrested in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
on March 20, 1979 for spying for the Soviet Union.
On December 7, 1979 he was convicted in Sweden and sentenced to life in prison for treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
.
Escape from prison
During the time in prison, he changed his name to Stig Svante Eugen Sandberg. On October 6, 1987 while on leave from the correctional institution in NorrköpingNorrköping
Norrköping is a city in the province of Östergötland in eastern Sweden and the seat of Norrköping Municipality, Östergötland County. The city has a population of 87,247 inhabitants in 2010, out of a municipal total of 130,050, making it Sweden's tenth largest city and eighth largest...
, Sweden, he and his wife, Elisabeth, managed to escape. From Rinkeby
Rinkeby
Rinkeby is a district in Rinkeby-Kista borough, Stockholm, Sweden. Rinkeby had 15,051 inhabitants as at December 31, 2007.Rinkeby is noted for its high concentration of immigrants and people with immigrant ancestry...
where Elisabeth lived, via Åland they got to Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
where Bergling contacted the Soviet Embassy and managed to get help from his old "employer" to live in the Soviet Union. Under the alias of Ivar and Elisabeth Straus, they lived for a while in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, and later in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. However, in autumn of 1990 as Soviet Union was collapsing
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union was the disintegration of the federal political structures and central government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , resulting in the independence of all fifteen republics of the Soviet Union between March 11, 1990 and December 25, 1991...
they were moved to Lebanon. In August 1994, the couple returned to Sweden voluntarily. Bergling spent three years in prison until his release in July 1997.
In the summer of 2006 Bergling joined the Swedish Left Party, but he left the party in September later that same year.
Since the end of the 1990s, Bergling has suffered from Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
.