Hans Holmér

Hans Holmér, (December 28, 1930 - October 4, 2002), social democrat, jurist, Chief of the Swedish National Security Service (SÄPO), Stockholm county administrative chief of police. Chief of the special investigation unit on the assassination of the Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme in 1986.

After the assassination of Olof Palme, Hans Holmér, then administrative chief of the Stockholm police, personally took responsibility for the investigation. Holmér assumed that the murder was political. A Palme-group with a special Palme-room and a Palme-observer were set up. Holmér particularly focused on the assumption that the Kurdish liberation movement PKK was behind the assassination. In the fall of 1986, a great number of search warrants were issued in order to investigate the doings of the Swedish Kurds. Many people with assumed PKK relations were arrested - only to be released shortly afterwards due to lack of evidence. Although the investigation suddenly turned into a failure, Holmér demanded further investigations of the Kurds. This rapidly created a split between Holmér and the prosecutors who criticized Holmér for not respecting the law. Holmér therefore resigned from the investigation in February 1987.

Holmér spent the rest of his life writing crime novels. In one of his books, "Olof Palme är skjuten!", Holmér writes about his experience leading the special investigation unit and seriously blames the prosecution for the failure of the investigation.

References

* Hans Holmér, "Olof Palme är skjuten!", Stockholm: Wahlström & Widstrand, 1988. ISBN 91-46-15682-8