Hans Holmér

Who was Hans Holmér?

Hans Gillis Åke Holmér, Chief of the Swedish National Security Service and later Stockholm county administrative chief of police. He became well known during his tenure, spanning barely a year, as Chief of the special investigation unit into the assassination of the Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme. Holmér was commonly associated with the Swedish Social Democratic Party and was known to have good connections within its top ranks.

After the assassination of Palme, Hans Holmér, then administrative chief of the Stockholm police, personally took charge of the investigations.

Holmér assumed that the murder was of a political nature, but not related to the domestic political scene. No analysis was ever made of whether the deceased PM's political positions could have created motives to kill him, either from within the Swedish political scene or on the part of foreign governments or secret agencies. Instead Holmér opted to look for the assassins within certain immigrant groups living in Sweden, notably the Kurds. A Palme task force with a special Palme office were set up.