Doctor Acquitted in Swedish Licensing Exam Case After Court Finds Legal Gap

An Iranian orthopaedic doctor accused of using unauthorised equipment in a Swedish medical licensing exam has been acquitted of making a false declaration. Umeå District Court found that the declaration he signed was not covered by the criminal provision used by prosecutors, Samnytt reports.

The case concerns a knowledge test on 26 November 2024 for doctors seeking recognition of qualifications obtained abroad. Before taking it, the defendant signed a declaration that he would not use prohibited aids.

Exam staff became suspicious of equipment at his desk and removed him from the room. The National Board of Health and Welfare reported the suspected cheating to police in January 2025.

According to Samnytt's account of the investigation, police later found camera equipment and earpieces during a search of his home. The defendant denied wrongdoing and disputed the staff's interpretation of what they had seen.

Prosecutor Angelica Ahlström brought a charge of aggravated false declaration in April 2025. She argued that the alleged conduct raised concerns about patient safety if it helped an applicant obtain a Swedish medical licence.

The court's reasoning turned on the wording of the law. Criminal liability for a false declaration requires the relevant assurance to be prescribed by legislation or another regulation. The court found no such provision covering this licensing test.

The acquittal therefore concerns the legal basis for that charge. It does not establish a general right to cheat in examinations, nor does the report establish that the doctor was granted a Swedish medical licence.

This report is an English adaptation of Samnytt's Swedish reporting published on 7 November 2026.