Claes Borgström

Claes Gustaf Borgström (21 July 1944 – 15 May 2020) was a Swedish lawyer and politician. He served as Equality Ombudsman (JämO) from 2000 until 2007. A member of the Social Democratic Party prior to 2013, he joined the Left Party in that year.

Claes Borgström
Equality Ombudsman
In office
2000–2007
Personal details
Born
Claes Gustaf Borgström

21 July 1944
Stockholm, Sweden
Died15 May 2020 (aged 75)
Stockholm, Sweden
Political partyS (until 2013)
V (2013–2020)
RelationsAnnette Kullenberg (sister)
Kerstin Vinterhed (sister)
ParentsGustaf Borgström (father)
EducationStockholm University
(juris kandidat, 1974)[1]
ProfessionAdvokat[1]

Education

Borgström earned a law degree (juris kandidat) from Stockholm University in 1974.[1]

Career

After earning his law degree, Borgström began working as a lawyer, taking several high-profile criminal cases.[2] Between 2000 and 2007, Borgström served the Swedish government as Equality Ombudsman (JämO).[1] Borgström expressed his dislike of this job to his client Sture Bergwall. He described the job as boring, and he would not stay for the full tenancy.[3]

After the defeat of the Social Democrats in the 2006 election, Borgström resigned to start a law firm together with former Social Democratic Minister of Justice Thomas Bodström.[4] Borgström himself had plans of becoming the Minister of Justice if the Social Democrats had won the election in 2010, according to his client Sture Bergwall. According to Bergwall, Borgström was quoted as saying of Bodström: "I have no high thoughts of Thomas Bodström. It is actually unimaginable how the current Minister of Justice was chosen for his post. [5] He is a shallow person."[3]

From 2008, Borgström was the Swedish Social Democratic Party's spokesperson on questions regarding gender equality.[6]

In a 2004 interview, Borgström stated that men carry a collective responsibility for violence against women, but emphasized the difference between collective responsibility and collective guilt. In this context, he voiced certain support for Gudrun Schyman's proposal of a "male tax" in order to pay for the costs of violence against women and other issues regarding gender equality.[7] He attracted attention in March 2006, when he demanded that Sweden boycott the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany "in protest against the increase in the trafficking of women that the event is expected to result in".[8]

In 2010, Borgström successfully appealed the decision to close the sexual assault case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, and became the legal representative of the two Swedish women against whom the Swedish police have accused Assange of sexual misconduct.[9] However, it seems the relationship soured, and he was replaced with Elisabeth Massi Fritz.[10][11]

[The defendant] moved to fire her controversial lawyer Claes Borgstrom [after] she lost faith in his ability to represent her. [She] charged that Borgstrom was more interested in being in the media spotlight than providing her legal counsel, and has often referred her inquiries to his secretary or assistant.

— RT, Assange legal shakeup: Prosecutor walks, Supreme Court judge to speak out on case, March 28 2013,

In 2013, citing his dissatisfaction with what he referred to as the right-leaning changes in the Social Democratic Party, Borgström left the Social Democrats and joined Left Party.[12]

Personal life

Borgström was born in Stockholm. His father was Gustaf Borgström, CEO of Sveriges Köpmannaförbund ("Swedish Merchants' Association") from 1942 until 1957. Borgström is also the brother of journalists Annette Kullenberg and Kerstin Vinterhed.[13] He married his former colleague Märit Borgström (née Röger) in Mallorca in 2007.[14] He had three children from an earlier marriage.[15]

Borgström died aged 75 in Stockholm on 15 May 2020, after suffering from COVID-19.[16][17]

References
  1. "Advokat Claes Borgström" (in Swedish). Borgström & Bodström advokatbyrå. Archived from the original on 11 August 2010. Retrieved 31 August 2010.
  2. "Claes Borgström har avlidit". 15 May 2020. Retrieved 15 May 2020 – via Svenska Dagbladet.
  3. Bergwall, Sture (8 October 2012). "PARENTES. Mitt sista samtal med Claes Borgström" (in Swedish). Retrieved 19 October 2010.
  4. Sörbring, Gunnar (31 March 2007). "Claes Borgström slutar som JämO". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 31 August 2010.
  5. "Claes Borgström har avlidit – Norran". www.norran.se. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  6. Olsson, Lova (8 April 2008). "Döm sexköpare till fängelsestraff". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 31 August 2010.
  7. "Så ska vi hjälpa kvinnorna". Aftonbladet. 1 November 2004.
  8. "Sida på JämOs webbplats". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  9. Hosenball, Mark (25 August 2010). "Lawyer for Women Accusing WikiLeaks Founder Maintains Charges of Sexual Misconduct". Newsweek. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
  10. "Assange legal shakeup: Prosecutor walks, Supreme Court judge to speak out on case". RT. 28 March 2013.
  11. New details emerge about Assange accusers The Local Retrieved 15 May 2020
  12. "Claes Borgström går till Vänsterpartiet". Dagens Nyheter. 9 November 2013.
  13. "Claes Borgström – advokat, Jämo". Aftonbladet. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  14. Mattsson, Åsa (4 July 2007). "Claes Borgström: "Jag spelade både fotboll och klippte klippdockor"". Salong K (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 11 December 2010. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
  15. Thunberg, Karin (29 November 2009). "Jämt jämställd". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 31 August 2010.
  16. Larsson, Thomas (15 May 2020). "Advokat Claes Borgström har avlidit". SVT Nyheter. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  17. "Advokaten Claes Borgström död – blev 75 år gammal". Expressen. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
Preceded by
Lena Svenaeus		 Swedish Equality Ombudsman
2000–2007		 Succeeded by
Anne-Marie Bergström
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