Anna-Greta Leijon
 Anna-Greta Leijon    (politician) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Anna Margareta Maria Lejon 30 June 1939 Stockholm, Sweden |
| Died | 11 April 2024 (Age 84) |
| Nationality | Swedish |
| Alma mater | Uppsala University |
| Children | • Britta Lejon • Svante Leijon |
| Spouse | Leif Backéus |
| Party | Swedish Social Democratic Party |
Anna-Greta Leijon is a Swedish former social democratic politician.[1] She held various ministerial posts one of which was the minister for justice.
As minister, Leijon wrote a letter of recommendation for the illegal efforts of her friend Ebbe Carlsson along with two SAPO officers, Walter Kego and Jan-Henrik Barrling in the secret continuation of investigations into possible Kurdish culpability in the Olaf Palme murder,[2] which turned out to be a goose chase. She was forced to step down when her letter was exposed.
Career
Leijon was born on 30 June 1939 in Stockholm, Sweden. She was employed at the Swedish Labour Market Administration (Arbetsmarknadsstyrelsen) in 1964 and became agency director there in 1970. Leijon was minister without portfolio from 1973 to 1976 and member of the Riksdag (s) from 1974 to 1990 (vice chairman of the Committee on the Labour Market from 1979 to 1982).[3] She was a member of the Executive Committee of the Social Democratic Party Board from 1981, Minister for Employment from 1982 to 1987, for Gender Equality in 1986 and Minister for Justice from 1987 to 1988[3] when she was forced to step down due to the Ebbe Carlsson affair.[4] Leijon was chairman of the Committee on Finance from 1988 to 1990.[3]
Kidnap plans
Following the 1975 West German Embassy siege in Stockholm, the German Red Army Faction (RAF) terrorist Norbert Kröcher allegedly planned to kidnap Anna-Greta Leijon. The goal was to exchange Leijon for 8 of his comrades held in German prisons.[5] The plan, known as Operation Leo, was intercepted by the Swedish Security Service (Säpo) and Kröcher was arrested on 31 March in Stockholm. He was deported from Sweden in 1977 and jailed in Germany. He was released in 1989 and did not rejoin the RAF. Leijon was chosen as the kidnapping victim because she had the responsibility for the terrorist legislation and was ultimately responsible for the expulsion of the RAF terrorists who carried out the embassy siege.[6]
