Ikea killer is afraid in Sweden, wants to go home

27 February | speisa.com

Abraham Ukbagabir, 37, who is sentenced to life in prison (18 years) for the double murder at Ikea in Västerås, has requested a transfer. He now wants to serve his sentences in his homeland of Eritrea.

The reason for this is that Ukbagabir repeatedly has been beaten up in prison in Sweden, reports Aftonbladet. It was on August 10, 2015, that a 55-year-old woman and her 28-year-old son were caught off guard and attacked by Abraham Ukbagabir inside the Ikea store in Västerås.

Without saying a word he attacked them and stabbed them with knifes he had taken from the kitchen department of the store.

“Would come to paradise”

Then the 36-year-old offender from Eritrea stabbed himself in the stomach, and sank down on the floor of the department store. According to what he has told, his view was that the victims, if they were to die, would come to paradise.

Despite this, Abraham Ukbagabir denied the murders and claimed that he did not intend that they would die, but both the District Court and the Court of Appeal sentenced him to imprisonment for life and deportation for the double homicide.

“Abraham Ukbagabir armed himself with two knives and intentionally and maliciously killed two people. The approach and the powerful violence that Abraham Ukbagabir inflicted on his victims are aggravating. The deeds have been preceded by planning and must have meant severe agony for the victims,” wrote the Court of Appeal in its verdict.

Beaten up in prison

Abraham Ukbagabir has on several occasions been both threatened and beaten up inside prison, also after transfer to another prison. And now he has, according to Aftonbladet, requested to be transferred to serve the rest of his sentences in his safer homeland of Eritrea.

The case is handled by the Justice Department for Criminal Cases and International Judicial Cooperation (BIRS), which in turn contacts the Eritrean authorities.

Both Sweden and Eritrea must approve the transfer.