Left Party parliamentarian Mohamed Abdukardir Ali reported himself sick on Monday morning and did not attend the Riksdag, according to Aftonbladet, which cites the parliament's chamber office.
Mats Carlstedt of the chamber office told the newspaper that Ali called in before 8 a.m. and stated that he was ill. Ali did not say how long he expects to be away, Aftonbladet reports.
The Left Party had already announced on Sunday that Ali would not come to the Riksdag on Monday. According to SVT Nyheter, the party said he would not be present in the chamber that day.
Why it matters
Ali's seat in parliament has drawn attention because his election has been linked to an investigation into suspected electoral fraud in Borlänge. Ali has not himself been notified of any suspicion, and no charge or formal accusation against him has been reported.
That distinction matters. Being connected to an investigation through reporting is not the same as being a suspect, and Swedish authorities have not publicly named him as one. Even so, the combination of an unresolved probe and an unexplained absence from the chamber gives the story a political weight beyond a routine sick day.
His absence also lands during a period when the Riksdag's work continues regardless of any single member's attendance. For the Left Party, the practical effect is one fewer vote available in the chamber; the political effect depends on how long Ali stays away and what the investigation produces.
What the chamber office says about sick leave
Under the Riksdag's rules as described by Aftonbladet, a member who reports sick does not need to provide medical documentation immediately. If the absence continues past the eighth day, the chamber office will require a doctor's certificate.
That eight-day threshold is the main concrete detail known so far. It sets a rough timeline: if Ali remains on sick leave beyond that point, the paperwork requirement kicks in, and the chamber office would have formal confirmation of his condition rather than a phone call.
Carlstedt's account is the only official comment cited in the reporting. It covers the timing of the call and the fact that Ali gave no indication of how long he would be gone. It does not address the reason for the absence beyond illness, and it does not connect the sick leave to the Borlänge investigation.
The Borlänge investigation and the political backdrop
The investigation concerns suspected electoral fraud in Borlänge, a town in Dalarna. Ali's entry into the Riksdag has been tied in media coverage to that inquiry. Aftonbladet and other outlets have reported on the connection, while noting that Ali has not been served notice of any suspicion.
Swedish legal procedure draws a clear line between being under investigation and being a suspect who has been formally notified. Ali sits on the notified side of neither: he has not been told he is suspected of anything.
The Left Party's Sunday announcement that he would skip Monday's session came after earlier reports that he would be absent. The party did not, in the material available, give a reason at that point. Monday's sick call supplied one.
What to watch
The next concrete marker is the eight-day point. If Ali's absence stretches past it, the chamber office will require a medical certificate, and the question of how long he stays away becomes a matter of record rather than a phone call before 8 a.m.
