At least 2,700 employees forced to sign confidentiality agreements in the Cosmic affair

The agreement, which applies to employees for life, states that they risk imprisonment if they violate confidentiality.

But since both freedom of expression and the principle of publicity are constitutionally protected, the agreement is in principle ineffective, freedom of expression expert Nils Funcke tells P4.

It is not compatible with the Swedish constitution; the secrecy is far too far-reaching, he says.

Mats Lundin, chairman of the collaboration between the nine regions that purchased Cosmic from the company Cambio, says that the confidentiality agreement was not signed to silence employees.

Freedom of information and the principle of publicity remain intact, he tells P4.