The IKEA killer wants to serve his sentence in Eritrea

Abraham Ukbagabir

EZ: The Eritrean citizen Abraham Ukbagabir, 37, also known as “IKEA killer”, sentenced to life imprisonment for the double murder in Sweden, wants to serve his sentences in his home country Eritrea, reports Aftonbladet.

The reason for his request to serve the life imprisonment sentence in Eritrea is that he has been repeatedly beaten in prison.

Abraham Ukbagabir is sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of two people, a 55 year old woman and her 28 year old son inside IKEA store in the Erikslund Shopping Center in Västerås, Sweden, in August 10, 2015. Without saying a word he went up against the mother and son and stabbed them to death with a knife he had taken from the kitchenware department.

Abraham Ukbagabir, 36-year-old, after fatally stabbed them, then proceeded to stab himself with a knife in the stomach.

Had been denied asylum the same day

Ukbagabir had that day received a negative decision on his asylum application when he attacked the mother and her son inside at IKEA store. At the time of the murder, he lived in an asylum accommodation in Arboga.

Just over an hour before the double murder had Abraham Ukbagabir left the Migration Board's premises, where he had received the final answer that he had been denied asylum in Sweden, and scheduled for deportation back to Italy, where he had acquired a residence permit. He had lived in Italy three months prior to his arrival in Sweden, and worked as a fisherman.

His 23-year-old companion, also Eritrean, was initially arrested as an accessory to murder, but later released. On August 31, 2015, the companion was cleared of all charges.

Court

Abraham Ukbagabir, admitted guilt early, but has denied intent. He admitted to the murders as soon as he woke up in hospital. Ukbagabir remained for a period in hospital, watched by security guards, prison officers and under police surveillance. The district court ordered that he should undergo a full psychiatric assessment.

In October 2015, Ukbagabir was found guilty of two first degree murders and was sentenced to life, as well as permanent extradition. Svea Court of Appeal confirmed the sentence in December 2015. Ukbagabir told in court that he felt treated unfairly when his appeal for asylum was rejected and he decided to kill someone as revenge.

Beaten in prison

Abraham Ukbagabir reputedly has attacked and injured by fellow prisoners inside the prison and on multiple occasions requiring hospital care. He was beaten inside the Salaberga Institution and moved to Tidaholm prison.

According to Aftonbladet, Ukbagabir applied to be transferred to serve the rest of his sentence in his home country Eritrea. The case handled by the Justice Department for Criminal Cases and International Judicial Co-operation (BIRS, Brottmålsärenden och Internationellt Rättsligt Samarbete), which in turn contacts the Eritrean authorities.

Ukbagabir will get the transfer if both Sweden and Eritrea approve his transfer.

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